History Reborn
by KA
Summary: A Lodoss War fic. The evil Goddess Kardis and her lawful counterpart Marfa find a set of new pawns for the conquest of Lodoss
1. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by MQ:

~Prologue~

This was the place. 

There was no way Beld's ancient fortress could have a lower level than the one Ka examined at that moment. It was a mess, but Kardis had specifically pinpointed this floor as being the place where Ka would find what she had been looking for all these years. 

Rocks and debris, a result of the legendary battle fought on that very same floor twenty years back, were scattered everywhere. The ground was raised and cracked in many places, as though an isolated landslide had occured. It was very cold, and there wasn't a sound to be heard by human ears...not even the pitter-patter of a solitary water droplet.

Ka wrinkled her nose and took a furtive look around, eyeing the open ceiling distrustingly. _This fortress is so old...it could fall apart at any moment_, thought Ka as, some two or three hundred feet above her head, the purplish clouds of dusk lazily swept across the sky. She forced herself to look away from the sickeningly alarming condition of the building and returned her gaze to the room she stood in.

Some old walls had fallen to the fortress' lowest level, adding to the already-ample supply of rubble that littered the floor, which made it rather difficult to move around the room freely. Ka cautiously made her way around a few jagged, unnatural rock formations as she slowly made her way to the center of the room. 

Hopping over a large, flat stone with the help of another sharp rock off to the side, Ka reached her goal: a quaintly located little clearing. There was no debris, oddly enough, around a granite table that appeared to have served as an altar of some sort, standing right in the middle of the clearing. Ka smiled; she knew that the altar had served to bear a sacrifice to the Goddess she now served.

However, it was not the crude table that caught Ka's eye. Protruding from the stone of the altar were the hilts of two swords. Ka let out a gleeful cry as she recognized the dragon-wing hilt of the Demon Sword.

Hastily, Ka broke away from the debris beyond and jumped into the small clearing, accidentally cutting her finger on the stones behind her as she pushed away from them. "He who holds the Demon Sword rules Marmo..." She recited to herself, locking her eyes on the dark sword's hilt; _after all these years_...

After jumping up on the altar, Ka stood over her intended prize and took a deep breath. She slid both her hands around the hilt of the Demon Sword and gripped it tightly, "I deserve this," She mumbled to herself, grinning, "by birthright!" And with that, she began what seemed the impossible task of pulling the dreaded blade from the stone. 

Sure enough, as she had expected, the sword came free effortlessly.

"Finally!" Ka cried triumphantly, raising the Demon Sword to the open ceiling above, "I have you!". As she revelled in the elation of the moment, a scarlet aura errupted from the weapon she held in her hands. The aura intensified until the entire room was bathed in its bloody glow. Seconds later, the rubble on the floor began to jitter and dance, until every bit of it flew up into the air, carried by an unseen updraft. 

Ka began to laugh as an unexplained wind picked up.

The Demon Sword shone brighter, and from the ruptures in the floor spurted liquid magma. From the bubbling inferno rose the underworld shades, ethereal beings both ugly and frightening, shrieking their greeting to the Demon Sword's new bearer. They rose up to encircle Ka, progressively melding into the dark sword she held.

Ka's laughter grew maniacal.

"Congratulations, Empress Ka." Came the ephemerous voice of Kardis, deep within Ka's consciousness, "You've carried on your father's legacy: Marmo is yours."


	2. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 1~

Twenty years ago, while the evil witch Karla was in possession of the priestess Leylia's body, a child was conceived. The child's father was the Emperor Beld, who was at the time in the midst of war preparations and had taken Karla/Leylia out of careless whim. During the clash between Beld and King Fahn, the child, born early as a result of Karla's influence, had been hidden away somewhere on the outskirts of Marmo. 

After the death of Beld, as well as the passing of Ashlom and the destruction of the dark wizard Wagnard, the island of Marmo became silent and dead. The child, older now, was intrigued by the lifeless land harbouring her. So, not much later, she was 'visited' by the supposedly dead Kardis. The Goddess of madness and destruction informed the child about Marmo's ancient and recent history, explaining to her the reason why she was alive...but more importantly, the reason why she had to remain that way.

Kardis went on to explain that, although her soul had perished a long time ago, her consciousness remained -- that was why she could 'converse' with the child. She added that the child was of great importance to her. Kardis explained that, with the child's help, she could twist Fate and claim all of Lodoss...

Intrigued by her past, and by her imminent future, the child accepted Kardis' consciousness/presence as a part of her own mind. Kardis, much like Karla in the way that she shared the body of another, guided the child in the rebuilding of the Empire of Marmo. The island was reborn bearing great resemblance to the way it had looked and operated while Beld sat on the throne; but, as Kardis sternly insisted, Beld's ways had been more than adequately suitable for the needs of the island. 

Unfortunately for the child, she had not considered the depth of her involvement with Kardis until it was too late. Kardis' consciousness was taking its toll on the child's mind; the more Marmo's condition improved, the more the child's mental health decreased. The madness of Kardis greatly influenced the unsuspecting child, so much in fact, that Kardis was able to gain more control over the child's mind as a whole.

However, the child's own ambition and reasoning did not perish in the mental landslide.

With the island of Marmo back to its original state, and perhaps even a little better, a pressing matter had to be attended to, that is, before the Empire's citizens could begin to indulge in chaos and anarchy. That matter was to crown a new leader. To give the child what was rightfully hers by birthright -- the throne of Marmo -- Kardis had to find the Demon Sword, buried deep within the lower levels of Beld's ancient fortress.

And so the Goddess of madness and destruction sent the child, Ka, daughter of the dark Emperor Beld, to the intented location of the greatest prize yet...

***

Arwen's eyes widened at the sound of Marfa's words, "Oh my God!" She gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth in shock. 

"It is true, Arwen," The voice of Marfa echoed through the brightly-lit temple, "but no good will come of this if you give in to panic." She added wisely.

Arwen understood Marfa's advice, but she found herself unable to feel less than shaken. This woman Ka, that she knew only by name and had never actually seen, had found the Demon Sword, and along with that, the Holy Sword of Falis! Earlier, Arwen had been summoned by Marfa to perform a special task; she was to find the Holy Sword of Falis and weild it in battle against the Empress of Marmo, who, at the time, hadn't yet been officially crowned. But things changed, and now Arwen was in trouble. 

Marfa had been disturbed by the uneasy presence of evil in the land and had just as soon pinpointed its source as being Kardis. At first, the Goddess of creation had cast the thought aside, believing Kardis long dead, but then her mind changed as she examined the island of Marmo. Marfa did not actually find Kardis, but what she _did_ find was a young woman bearing much resemblance to a man that she thought she would never see again: Beld. 

Alarmed by the woman's determination to rebuild the Empire of Marmo, Marfa looked into her cause with greater interest. It was then that her suspicions about Kardis were proved. The Goddess of madness and destruction had found a way to live on, cleverly enough, _inside_ of the young woman's head. Marfa could not be sure of Kardis' intentions, but at the alarming rate at which Marmo's military strength grew, she logically guessed that Kardis desired domination of Lodoss.

With this in mind, Marfa contacted the one person who could possibly wield the Holy Sword of Falis against the woman Kardis shared consciousnes with and win. The person Marfa summoned was the daughter of the Holy Knight Parn and the High-Elf Deedlit: a pure-hearted woman named Arwen. But of course, like the ambitious woman on Marmo who's name turned out to be Ka, Arwen could not possibly defeat her enemy alone. 

And that was why Marfa had to pay close attention to the situation.

A battle would inevitably occur, and during this battle, Arwen would have to face Ka hand-to-hand. As Ka was not entirely Ka, Arwen would have to _not be_ entirely Arwen. To achieve this, Marfa would meld with Arwen as Kardis had melded with Ka; only this way would the battle be won. Unfortunately however, Marfa could not 'jump into Arwen's mind' until the time of the duel.

But before any of these things could occur, Arwen had to find the Holy Sword of Falis. Unfortunately, she had already been beaten to it.

"So this Ka woman is Empress of Marmo now, isn't she?" Arwen asked the seemingly empty temple, kneeling before a large altar decorated with sweet-smelling flowers that cascaded over its surface and tumbled down its edges. She loved the temple, as it was a place of exquisite serenity and peace. There wasn't a more beautiful place in all of Lodoss.

Marfa's soothing voice swept through the room once more, "Yes." Came her perfunctory answer, "But you musn't focus on that right now, Arwen. Although the Holy Sword of Falis is in Ka's possession, it is _not_ rightfully hers. You must retrieve it, as it is the key to defeating Kardis and her servants." She declared pointedly.

Arwen sighed and hung her head, her light brown hair tumbling over her shoulders and into her eyes, "You want me to go to Marmo?" She asked meekly with a heavy hint of disbelief in her voice, "It's _teeming _with soldiers and ugly creatures...I'll never pull it off alive! And besides, how will I get to the Holy Sword if it's within Ka's fortress? Because _that's_ where it is, you know. Won't it be guarded?" She asked worriedly.

"Trust in yourself and you will suceed." Marfa responded lightly, "The Holy Sword will speak to you, it will guide you to its location once you've reached Ka's fortress. I assure you, the creatures of Marmo, and Ka's soldiers, will not be of concern to you. All you have to focus on is your task and all will be well." She concluded contentedly.

Arwen raised her head and took a deep breath, letting the reality of her task engrave itself in her mind, "Very well, Marfa." She breathed after a while, her features gradually setting deterninedly, "I will find the Holy Sword and bring it back, I promise you." She vowed and got to her feet.

"Praying again?" Came a cheerful voice from the doorway, "You've been doing that often lately, Arwen.".

Arwen looked over at the visitor and smiled, "I was settling some affairs with Marfa, Kalie." She said and watched as the other woman stepped inside the temple and headed towards where she stood. 

Kalie was Arwen's best friend, a woodland elf that she had met at a very young age during a picnic with her parents. The two had spent much time together since then and had grown very close. Only recently had Kalie actually left the forest to live within the city of Valis; she was quite shy with humans, as they lead such different lives than her own people, but with time she learned to overcome her silly fears.

"You make it sound so important..." Kalie said, stepping before Arwen and idly brushing a petal off her her friend's shoudler, "...is this about Marmo again?" She asked a little annoyedly. For a while now, Arwen had spoken to her of the dark island, saying that and ancient evil stirred there and that Marfa was beginning to get worried about Lodoss' safety. Arwen had _not_, however, spoken to Kalie about the fact that she was directly involved in the fight against Kardis. Quite frankly, the elven woman would have freaked out to hear of it.

But now, as Arwen studied her friend's wide-eyed innocence, she realised that it was useless to continue hiding the details of the situation any longer, "Um, Kalie, there's something I never really told you about before." She said hesitantly.

Kalie raised a blonde eyebrow and put her hands on her hips, "Like what?" She asked pertly.

"Well," Arwen began, swallowing audibly, "Remember everything I've told you about Marmo's rebirth and Kardis and all that?" She asked then waited for Kalie to nod before continuing, "You've heard of the Demon Sword and the Holy Sword of Falis, right?" She asked furthermore, getting another, more impatient nod from her elven friend, "Well, those two swords have been found by Ka -- I know you know who I'm talking about. The thing is that I have to get the Holy Sword back from her...now." She declared slowly, unsure about he way Kalie would react to the news.

Kalie frowned, "Why?" She asked curiously.

Arwen took a breath, this was the biggie..."Because I need it to defeat Ka and Kardis." She answered, eyeing her friend's uncomprehending glare, "I'm the protagonist here, Kalie." She repeated, in simpler terms. Sometimes Kalie could be so absent-minded...

The elven woman gawked and drew back in suprise, "Really?" She asked incredulously, "Why you?!" She cried then, wondering why on earth her best friend had to go fight some war against the worst the world had to offer.

Arwen shook her head, "I'm not sure. Marfa came to me a while ago...there was really nothing I could do about it." She replied calmly, "And besides, it isn't really all that bad. I'm doing it for Lodoss, after all..." She trailed off, images of heroes come and gone playing through her mind. At the top of the list came her father, Parn; he was such an inspiration to her. She had his courage, now maybe she could finally make something of it.

"You'll die, Arwen!" Kalie moaned dramatically, clutching her friend's arms tightly, "It's crazy! I mean, it's just you versus an entire empire!" She added, "Forget about the Holy Sword! You'd be _insane_ to go out to Marmo alone!" She went on, roughly shaking Arwen in a desperate attempt to bring her back to her senses. She just _had_ to get off this heroic power trip!

Just then, at the sound of Kalie's words, Arwen's eyes brightened and a grin spread across her face, "But I _won't_ be alone, Kalie," She cried gleefully, "Because I want you to come with me!" She declared, amazed at herself for having thought of such a brilliant scheme.

Kalie jumped back about five feet, her emerald eyes as wide as saucers, "WHAT?!".


	3. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 2~

The wind blew through Empress Ka's long black hair as she stood quietly at the edge of the highest balcony her fortress had to offer. Her eyes swept over the uneven surface of Marmo, admiring the silent hostility of the terrain that stretched as far as the eye could see. 

She loved Marmo as it was hers, and hers alone. 

_Funny_, thought Ka, leaning her forearms on the balcony railing, _Kardis has kept quiet these past few days...I wonder what she's up to_. She idly flicked a small stone off of the railing and watched it plummet to the ground dozens of feet below; the stone was like Lodoss, Ka figured, it was unconsciously falling. 

The Empress smiled and her hand reached down to finger the hilt of the Demon Sword, "Thank you, Kardis!" Ka cried to the surrounding island, uncaring about the fact that the Goddess she called to was closer than anything could possibly be. It was indeed because of Kardis that Ka had made it this far, and Ka was very thankful. However, the bloodlust of battle and the incessant pull of ambition begged the Empress to gather her troops and begin the assault on Lodoss as soon as possible. 

But Kardis would frown on that.

Then, the disturbance came. Ka's head snapped up and she examined her entourage, but her efforts returned no results. What was the cause of odd feeling she was having? Slowly, she unsheathed her sword and closed her eyes in an effort to concentrate on the origin of the problem. Seconds later, she spun around to her left and looked out into the purplish dusk sky.

In the distance, a moving speck was drawing ever closer to her fortress. Whatever it was, it could fly...and it was big. Ka squinted and attempted to identify what it was that was coming towards her. 

Again, there came another disturbance.

This time, it came from down below. Ka's gaze shifted down to the dark forest that surrounded the fortress, eyeing the still trees suspiciously. Again, she saw nothing, but she knew that something was actually down there. A sharp, high-pitched cry coming the from the sky brought the Empress' attention back to the air, where she could now make out the shape of a dragon quickly drawing nearer to where she stood on her balcony.

Ka gasped and took a few steps back from the railing, watching intently as a great red dragon swooped by her fortress, "Holy shit!" She cried, snapping her sword up in front of her. She continued to watch as the flying serpent glided and turned back her way, to come to a hovering stop directly in front of the thick blackstone balcony.

Atop the red wyrm sat a dark elven woman.

Nimbly, the dark elf jumped from the back of her mount and stepped onto Ka's balcony. She was of medium height and wore elaborate scarlet robes; her shoulder-length hair, adorned with a silver circlet, was stark white and pleasantly thick. Strapped to her back, Ka noticed, were a pair of slender-bladed swords.

Ka's features darkened as the elven woman walked over to her, wondering why on earth she was being visited this way. "I desire an audience with the Empress. Fetch her now, soldier." The dark elf demanded after coming to a stop a few inches from Ka's face. She waited a moment, registering the look of utter outrage on Ka's face, then her eyes fell upon the Demon Sword. 

Her eyes widening suddenly, the red-robed woman jumped back and fell to one knee, "Forgive my insolence, Empress Ka!" She stuttered hastily, "I heard of the crowning of the new Empress of Marmo, but I was never given the chance to behold the title's owner as of yet!" Her head bent and her eyes downcast, the dark elven woman grew silent.

Ka sneered down at her guest', "Why have you come, elf?" She asked, not very impressed with the other woman's behavior. A pity, because first impressions were so important. 

"I have come to offer my services to the empire." The elf answered. She got up then and brushed herself off, indignantly trying to keep an official posture, "I am Lady Rose, the last remaining dark elven sorceress of Lodoss." She went on to introduce herself, "I have great talent," She mentioned with a sly smirk, then she motioned for Ka to follow her to the edge of the balcony, "and," She continued, pointing at the woods below where Ka had earlier heard the second disturbance, "I have a grand army at my service." She said finally as a line of about two-hundred figures emerged from the darkness of the trees below.

The figures were dark elves, all armed, and incredibly silent. Ka grinned as the cause of the second earlier disturbance finally showed face; surely the army offered by Lady Rose would prove a handsome asset to the imperial troops, but, as Ka knew all too well, nothing was for free... "And what do you want in return, Rose?" Ka asked her seemingly generous guest. 

Lady Rose's smile grew, "It's quite simple actually, Empress Ka." She started, her emerald eyes shimmering now, "I want the elimination of the white elven race." She declared, her hand curling into a fist at her side.

Ka inspected the dark elf's features; such determination was rare, she thought to herself, but it wasn't unwelcome...as it mirrored her own. "How fascinating." She breathed, walking around Rose while running her fingers through her hair, "Your offer entails vast repercussion, Rose," Ka says thoughtfully, then watches the dark elf whirl around to face her with a raised eyebrow, "but it is not unreasonable." She concludes with a grin.

"You accept the services of me and my men?" Lady Rose asked tentatively. She had been pretty sure that she'd get a positive response from Ka, as, although she had never dealt with her beforehand, she had heard from her sources that the new Empress wasn't quite the most level-headed individual of all time. And besides, if Ka was after all of Lodoss, then what harm would a bit of genocide do?

Ka took another look at the army of dark elves down below, then she returned her gaze to Rose, "Of course." She replied and watched the other woman smile thankfully. 

***

In a few weeks time, Lady Rose had become Ka's right hand. Though Ka thought it strange to have a sorceress nearby at all times, seeing as the most magical thing she owned (other than the Demon Sword) was her toilet, she did not find it inconvenient in the least. In fact, as the days went by, having Rose around became fun for the Empress.

Ka soon learned that Lady Rose was just as disturbed as she was. The dark elven woman was morbidly-humored and obsessive, all this amounting to great fun for Ka. To Rose, everything came back to how stupid or ugly or naive white elves were, and often, she would use her magic to turn one of Ka's ordinary slaves into a fake white elf just so that she could beat up on it. Of course, during these beatings, Ka was always there watching and laughing at her court sorceress' crazy antics.

Rose was aware of everything that went on within Marmo. She coordinated things in Ka's place in the not-so-rare case of the Empress' sudden incapacity to rule due to the voracious madness of Kardis. Rose knew everything about how Ka and Kardis shared' consciousness; she often worried about Ka, well aware of the disease-like madness that was slowly eating her up. But then there were times when Rose could see more of who Ka really was, times like when the two of them chatted about life in general, where it seemed almost as if Ka was a normal individual.

If, that is, a normal individual was _supposed_ to be callous and selfish.

***

"I don't feel right." Kalie complained, halting her step and listening to the eerie sounds of the Marmo woodlands. She hated not being in Valis; it had taken her so long to finally convince herself to leave her home and live within a human city, and now she had to get used to another – wholly different – place all over again...even if it _was_ just until Arwen found the Holy Sword.

Arwen came up behind her jittery friend and pushed her along, "Come on, Kalie!" She urged, keeping her voice down despite the courage in her stride, "I can't believe you're still being like this. Marfa told me that everything'll be alright if we just keep focusing on our goal." She reassured her elven buddy. It had been a week now since the day that Marfa had so kindly agreed to teleport both Arwen and Kalie to the island of Marmo, in order to shorten their trip. The Goddess of creation had been quick to explain to the two girls that she could not have transported them to the _exact_ location of the Holy Sword of Falis as Kardis would have instantly picked up on the presence of Marfa's magic...even if it _would_ have been for only a split second.

So now the elf and her brave friend were trekking through the forests of Marmo, as that was the way Marfa had specified to go. The woodlands were supposed to lead directly to the northern outskirts of the island, where the location of Ka's fortress was said to be. 

A dry branch broke from a high tree and fell to the ground at Kalie's feet. She jumped nervously and grasped her chest, her heart beating at a hundred miles an hour within, "Why'd I _ever_ agree to come with you?" She asked herself as much as Arwen. 

Behind her, Arwen shook her head, "Because you're a nice person?" She tried, well aware that that wasn't the case. To Arwen, Kalie was nice, but to everyone else known to man, Kalie was a real wretch. Arwen considered blaming that particular personality trait on her friend's elven heritage, but, being a half-elf herself due to her mother Deedlit, Arwen dismissed the possibility. After all, if one wanted to have attitude, one could have it; on the other hand, if one wanted to be nice for a change, one could do that also.

The dark, dank woods seemed to go on and on forever. The paths winded and divided into other paths and altogether, the place was a real mess. Neither Arwen nor Kalie really wanted to stay any longer than they had to, but if this was the way Marfa said that they should take to get to Ka's fortress, than this was the way they would stick with until they had reached their desired destination.

Arwen peered upwards, trying to decipher the sky through the thick tangle of tree tops, "Do you think anyone lives in these woods, Kalie?" She asked suddenly, half-expecting to see some kind of animal jump from tree to tree in order to answer her question. Unfortunately, no such animal appeared. 

"Probably not." Kalie replied with an inkling of contempt in her voice, "I can't imagine _any_ creature who'd care to reside here; it's so...so...ugly." She managed, looking around and wrapping her arms around herself protectiely. 

Arwen sighed in irritation, "Don't be stupid." She scolded her friend sternly, "If anything does live here, than it's probably going to be as ugly as its surroundings." She reasoned, the sound of her own voice alleviating the hostile air of the woods. She raised an eyebrow at her friend's back, "You don't expect to meet any other elves around here, do you Kalie?" She asked then, positive that that was what Kalie had on her mind.

Kalie's expression became prissy and she whirled around to face Arwen, "Of _course_ not!" She cried emphatically, hands on her hips, "My kin would die out here; the whole feel of this creepy death trap would drive them mad!" She added. 

Arwen sighed dramatically and stalked past Kalie, "Sure." She breathed skeptically, "Kinda like you, hmm?" She proposed slyly and heard Kalie mumble an oath behind her.

The two continued their trek, unaware that, hidden all around them, unseen eyes watched their progress as they ventured into the depths of imperial Marmo.


	4. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 3~

"What's the matter, Kalie?" Arwen asked her friend once the two of them had settled in for a good night's sleep under the stars. 

Kalie curled into a little ball deep within her cloak and eyed her surroundings thoughtfully, "Nothing." She snapped levelly.

Arwen frowned deeply and remained quiet for a moment. There was something up with Kalie, obviously, as she had been edgy and paranoid all throughout the day. Perhaps it was the woods that still gave her the creeps, or maybe the simple yet ominous fact that they were on Marmo. Northbound still, Arwen and Kalie were quickly approaching their destination: Ka's fortress.

"Don't be this way, Kalie, it's just not the right time." Arwen protested after her momentary silence, "I don't need you to be all edgy about the slightest little thing that you hear or see; if you keep this up, when we get to Ka's fortress you'll die of a heart attack...or a brain hemorage." She added pointedly.

A few feet away, Kalie continued to scrutinize the darkened woods beyond; Arwen's words were inconsequential to her. She felt as though she and Arwen were being followed...and that they had been since their arrival on Marmo. During the day, it wasn't so bad, but at night, it was as though a thousand eyes were upon them, straing down from high perches in those interminably tall trees. Perhaps it was pure anxiety and paranoia, but Kalie believed it to be more serious than that. 

A dull wind blew, barely rustling the half-dead leaves, and then passed. However, Kalie noticed as she stared up into the boughs above, something was moving regardless of the sudden breeze. She watched intently for a split-second and the moving stopped...as though it knew she were watching.

"Kalie, you know--" Arwen's voice chimed again, but this time, Kalie cut her off with a rude hand gesture before she could continue on with her endless chattering.

The branches moved again. Kalie's hand slid over her hip to her slender short-sword's hilt; she froze and watched as a clearly distinguishable shadow flitted down from the tree she had been watching and stepped to the ground soundlessly, only to melt into the shadows once again. Kalie's heart soared; only one creature could manage such a leap with such grace...and elf!

Without warning, Kalie jumped to her feet and bolted into the darkened woods beyond, towards where the shadowy figure had touched down. Quickly, and stealthily, she zigzaged through the tightly-woven trees, keeping her sword ready just in case. She realized she was smiling; an elf! Here on Marmo! She couldn't believe her luck; perhaps she had found herself a new ally for the trip to Ka's fortress...

Just as the figure came back into almost-distinguishable view, Arwen's shrill voice split the night air, "What are you doing?!" The half-elf shrieked, worried sick about the way Kalie had just taken off from camp without saying a word. 

At the sound of Arwen's voice, the shadow Kalie was pursuing darted away and back up into the trees.

"What are you doing?! You scared me right to shit running away like that!" Arwen went on loudly, stumbling on a raised tree root as she made her way towards Kalie. She came up behind her elven friend, panting like a dog.

Kalie watched her breath form misty clouds as it poured from her lips; her eyes almost desperately searched the woods beyond for a trace of the shadowy figure, but she found nothing. With a sigh, she turned on Arwen, "Why'd you yell?" She asked annoyedly, irritated that she hadn't been able to solve the mystery that had made her so paranoid throughout the week.

Arwen's expression became defensive, "Why'd you run away like you did?" She asked in return. 

Kalie's face was dull now, "I thought I saw something, that's all." She answered vaguely, positive that Arwen would not believe her if she told her she thought that she had seen an elf.

"I can't have you chasing shadows, Kalie." Arwen scolded her friend in a rather matronly fashion, "If there is in fact something in these woods, I don't want you to deliver yourself to it blindly.".

Kalie ignored Arwen's words for the second time that night; her eyes continued to scan the trees.

***

Not much later that same night, Ka sat with her legs over one of the armrests of her throne, watching as her drunken court sorceress Rose stumbled about the audience hall yelling pointless threats and useless statements.

"And you can be _found_, lying face-down, in the _gutta_!" The dark-elven woman screamed, shaking her wine goblet at some foe that only she could see.

Ka smiled and then chuckled, and soon enough her chuckles became full-blown hysterics. She clutched at her sides and almost tipped off of her throne.

Rose smirked loosely at the sound of Ka's laughter, and, now vaguely certain that she had an audience (as she was so plastered she couldn't remember for more than two minutes that Ka was watching her antics), she began to describe a white elf she had once met, "I met this pointy-eared jerk once," She began, her words slurring just enough to make it interesting, "I forget his name though..." She frowned deeply, then, she dropped her goblet, "Daraen!" She cried all of a sudden, then, realizing she'd dropped her wine, she gave the goblet a hard kick that sent it skittering across the room, "Anyway, I scared him so bad that he held his breath, then passed out and fell and hit his head on the coffee table." She laughed at the thought, "I swear to you, Ka...this really happened."

Ka's laughter grew louder and she fell off her thone with a loud thud and a clang of armor. 

Rose walked towards the throne, "But that's not my point. Anyway, this Daraen guy was _so_ ugly --" She started up again, but she was interrupted this time by someone who appeared at the audience hall doors.

The interruptor was a dark elf; a soldier of Rose's army, "I'm sorry to...interrupt," He began tentatively, unsure of how to interpret the sight of the drunken sorceress and the fallen empress, "I have come to inform you of intruders on Marmo." He declared urgently.

Rose was the first to respond...amazingly, "Can't you see I'm _busy_ here, Djavul?!" She whined in a dragging tone. The dark elf at the door frowned at the sorceress' words. Rose whirled around to face Ka, "I'm sorry Ka," She called sweetly, "You must forgive my brother Djavul here...he's an idiot." She finished with a drunken smile and a useless wink.

Ka was up from the ground and was already heading towards the door, "He said something about intruders," She said concernedly, pushing past Rose and stepping up to the dark elf, Djavul, "What are you talking about, soldier?" She demanded, curious to see what all this was about.

Djavul anxiously fingered a dagger beneath his vest, "I was scouting the surrounding woods with my detachment, Empress Ka, and I happened upon two women who were camping out surprisingly near the perimeter of the guard near your fortress." He began, "One of them is a half-elf by the name of Arwen I believe; the other is an elf called Kalie.".

"Elf?" Rose piped with renewed interest, popping her head over Ka's shoulder and raising an eyebrow, "Why didn't you kill her, Djavul?" She asked her brother annoyedly.

Djavul sighed in irritation at the sorceress' comment, "I wanted to clear this with the Empress first in order to make sure that she hadn't invited some 'guests' to the island." He answered in a flat voice, before returning his attention to Ka, "_Are_ they your guests, Empress?" He asked then.

Ka shook her head gravely, "No, they are not." She answered thoughtfully, eyeing the dark-elven soldier, "You are head of the perimeter division then, I presume?" She asked him. Djavul inclined his head slightly; he was well under six feet tall, as were most of the soldiers in Rose's army, but his lack of height did not injure his abilities as a warrior. Ka had watched Rose's dark elves in action before, and they were a force to be reckoned with; they were quick and agile, like any elf, but they were ruthless and efficient when it came time to kill. 

Ka nodded; surely this man would be capable of returning the two intruders to the fortress, where they would be dealt with accordingly: in other words, death for the elf and death for the half-elf. They should have known better not to trespass, "Hunt them down and bring them to me, alive. I want to have a little talk with them." Ka ordered with a pleasant smile.

Djavul knew what Ka meant by 'talk'. He smirked and saluted, "At once, Empress." He purred, turning around with a sweep of thick white hair and disappearing down the halls of the fortress.

Ka looked after Djavul long after the soldier had left the audience chamber, "He's your brother, Rose?" She asked after a long moment of silence.

Rose put a hand on Ka's shoulder as the empress contiued to stare out at the empty hallway beyond the doors, "If you give me more wine, I'll tell you all about him." She offered slyly.


	5. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 4~

Ka planted an old lawn chair on the balcony where she had first met Rose and watched as Djavul and his soldiers disappeared into the thicket that surrounded the fortress. The tiny form of Djavul turned towards the fortress before entering the woods and saluted; seconds later, he and his men were nowhere to be seen.

"This better work." Ka grumbled, highly uncomfortable with the idea of two uninvited guests on her island. What if they were spies, or assasins? There was simply no time to waste on fickle disturbances such as the ones that troubled her at that moment.

For the first time in a long time, Kardis' voice spoke from within Ka's mind, "You're right, Ka." The voice said warningly, "This _better_ work." She repeated sternly. Ka shifted in her lawn chair and frowned, "What are you talking about, Kardis?" She asked confusedly, out loud, even though all she really had to do was think it. Kardis' voice returned then, "The elf and the the half-elf that your soldier have found are a great threat to you, I'm afraid." She declared at length, "The half-elf is the daughter of Parn and Deedlit; she and Marfa are one against you.".

Ka's eyes widened suddenly, "What?!" She cried, "What does Marfa have to do with this?" She demanded of the Goddess who shared her consciousness. Kardis was quick to respond, "As you guide Marmo towards its destiny, the half breed Arwen guides the rest of Lodoss as well. She is your sworn enemy, Ka. She is the one you will have to defeat in order to gain full domination of Lodoss." She replied almost desolately.

"But she is just a girl," Ka argued, "You and I are more than a mere mortal." She smiled, comforting herself with the words. The voice of Kardis was angry now, "You are such a fool, Ka!" She hissed, "Marfa will meld with Arwen just as I have melded with you; the difference _is_ that Marfa will meld with Arwen _only_ when the time of the duel has come. Marfa does not need a body to subsist in the world, but I do; that is why I have come to you early instead of at the last minute.".

In the doorway that lead to the balcony, Rose stood idly, listening as Ka seemingly talked to herself. Even though it was a one-way deal, the conversation sounded inetresting; Rose wondered what Kardis was saying to the Empress, but she understood that it was something about the two women that Djavul had reported the night before...not that she remembered very much of the night before, though.

"What do Arwen the the elf want? Why are they coming here _now_?" Ka asked irritably, here eyes locked on the forest line below; there was still no sign of any movement down there. Kardis chuckled dryly, "They have come for the Holy Sword of Falis." She answered quaintly. Ka shook her head and made an idle hand gesture, "The sword I took from the basement of my father's ancient fortress? That thing belongs to Arwen, I suppose then?" She asked furthermore, not enjoying the implications of what the project entailed.

Kardis seemed distracted for a moment, and then she returned, "Yes, it indeed belongs to Arwen." Her tone grew serious, "You musn't let her take it from you, for it is with that blade that she will face you; if she cannot get to the sword, then our battle is almost won." She said and it was clear to Ka that this was of utmost importance to the insane Goddess, "If she does, your life and your empire are at stake".

Rose watched as Ka grew silent for a long moment. Although the Empress sat facing the woods thus making it impossible to see her face, Rose figured that the conversation with Kardis had come to an end. Ka was probably watching the woods. Rose smoothed her scarlet robes and walked over to stand beside Ka, "Ka?" She asked tentatively, testing to make sure she wasn't still 'busy'.

"Arwen and the elven girl are after the Holy Sword of Falis." Ka answered pointedly, keeping her eyes on the towering trees, "We musn't let them get to it. I want you to get the guard up in the eastern wing of the fortress...that's where I deposited the sword after finding it that one night." She ordered calmly.

Rose nodded, "Alright, that's not a problem." She lingered in her spot for a moment, then moved to stand in front of Ka, "Is there anything else I should know, Ka?" She asked gently. She examined the Empress' face and found nothing new; her eyes still reflected the serenity that belied the storm that raged inside her mind, and her features remained expressionless. Rose wished Kardis would leave Ka alone, but she knew very well that Marmo needed both the Goddess and the Empress in order to survive.

"I'm sure Djavul will return with Arwen and her elven friend." Rose said after a bit, in order to make up for the time she had spent staring at Ka. She watched as a flicker of reconaissance passed through the Empress' steady gaze at the sound of her brother's name. Although it wasn't an audible sound, it was enough to content Rose.

"I will see to the guards." The sorceress said and left the balcony.

***

High up within the trees, Djavul watched as Arwen and Kalie continued their trek through the seemingly endless forest. He would deliver these two to Empress Ka, as promised, and he would personnally see to it that they be executed...or at least, he'd watch as Ka disposed of them.

Signalling one of his soldiers, he pointed down to Kalie, "Take that one down first; she is quicker than the other." He whispered just loud enough to be heard. The other soldier nodded and levelled his one-handed crossbow at Kalie, who strode out way ahead of Arwen. Djavul, content with the aim, motioned with his hand, "Now." He signaled quietly and the soldier released the poised bolt.

On the ground, Kalie had already heard the whistling of the heavy arrow as it came towards her. With a startled cry, she jumped to the side; luckily the bolt dug into her arm and not her heart, "Damn!" She groaned through gritted teeth as she clutched her arm.

In the trees, Djavul cursed and gave his soldier a dirty look before the two of them flitted off a little further ahead of Arwen and Kalie.

"What's happened?" Arwen asked, then, as she whirled around and caught a glimpse of her friend's wound, she brought her hand to her mouth, "Kalie!" She gasped. She ran to her elven friend and attempted to get a closer look at the arrow, but Kalie pushed her away roughly. Arwen felt horrible; it was now obvious that Kalie had been right about being watched, "I'm so sorry Kalie! I know I bitched at you about chasing shadows yesterday night, but you were really making me nervous!" She whimpered apologetically, "I guess you were right about someone or some_thing_ watching us out here...I should have listened to you. I'm sorry." She tried again.

Kalie shook her head, "Let that be a lesson to you then, Arwen." She remarked bluntly, "Now let's move; we can't stay in one spot for too long or we'll be shot down." She said sharply and began striding ahead quickly. Behind her, Arwen jogged to catch up, "But you're injured!" She cried, "You're not just gonna leave that _in_ there, are you?" She asked, motioning to the deply-implanted bolt in the elf's slender arm.

With a grunt, Kalie broke off the end of the arrow that protruded from her flesh, "I'll deal with it when we've reached a safe haven; it doesn't hurt for now, but I'm hoping it's not poisoned." She remarked, the concept of it troubling her greatly the more she thought about it.

"Poison." Djavul mused to himself after overhearing the comment, "Should've thought of that." He reached into his vest and pulled out a set of five cruel-edged daggers. Positioning each between the fingers and within the palm of his right hand, he waited for Arwen and Kalie to come into direct view; when the two had done just that, he crouched down and flicked his wrist, sending a continuous stream of steel in Kalie's direction.

Arwen screamed when the light of the sun that came in through the cracks in the trees caught the gleam of the daggers heading towards her friend, "Kalie look out!" She managed. Without really thinking about it twice, she dove for the elven woman and sent her crashing out of the way. She looked back to see the five daggers planted firmly in the ground in a pentagonal star-shaped design, their serrated edges gleaming hungrily in the misty afternoon sunlight.

Djavul clapped a hand to his forehead, "Ah crap." He winced. Not a moment later, he signaled for his soldiers to come near...

Beneath Arwen, Kalie almost cried at the pain she felt from the wound in her arm, "You _idiot_! You crushed my arm!" She screamed, unable to help herself. Arwen jumped off of her and looked up at the treetops worriedly, "I saved your life, you ingrate." She snapped, barely a whisper, "You were right...again; let's get moving. And try to stay under the thicker brush." She proposed and clumsily hauled Kalie to her feet.

They hadn't made it further than about a hundred meters when four figures jumped down from the trees above, two in front of them and two behind. The two figures that landed in front of Arwen and Kalie were dark elves, but while one of them stayed back, the other stepped foreward and unsheathed his sword.

"Welcome to Marmo, ladies." Djavul greeted them, a wide smile on his face, "Although I'd love to chat with you two, I'm afraid Empress Ka has more urgent issues to solve with you." He said with a dry chuckle. He watched as both Arwen and Kalie looked over their shoulder, and his smile grew wider, "Yes, there's no use running; my men will catch you." He inclined his head at the two soldiers behind the elf and the half-elf and they unsheathed their swords with a loud steely sound, "Come now...quitely." He snapped.

Kalie's frown was so deep that it didn't look as though it belonged to her face, "You're the ones who have been watching us since our arrival on the island, right?" She asked, just to prove to herself (and to Arwen!) that she wasn't a nut...although there was proof enough to conclude that she wasn't. The dark elf's smile remained. Kalie quickly realized that there was nothing more to do than fight; she couldn't let herself and Arwen be taken to Ka, and she couldn't try to reason with the evil dark elves that her own kind had rejected from society a long time ago.

"Get ready Arwen!" Kalie cried and unsheathed her own sword in a second. She immediately darted for the dark elf that had spoken earlier, but she could not get to him as the soldier standing at his side jumped in front of him instead. She used her weight to carry her initial thrust, sending the dark elven soldier reeling backwards. The soldier threw her off of him and engaged her in a parrying routine.

Arwen had not been as quick as Kalie had, be she managed to get her share of action as well. The two soldiers that had landed behind her and Kalie jumped into battle the second Kalie had bolted for the other attackers. She ripped her longsword from its sheath and swung low to get the attacking dark elves out of her defenses, "For Marfa!" She cried triumphantly and began fighting both elves at once...a scene that would have impressed the skeptical Kalie if she would have been around to see it.

"Fire Spirit, lend me your strength!" Kalie cried, levitating above her opponent. A warm wind blew through the ever-still forest of Marmo and Kalie got the power she desired; as her dark-elven foe began to levitate up towards her, she pointed her finger down at him and let the Spirit flow through her, "Fire Arrow!" She yelped and a dart of crimson flame shot out from her fingertip, transpersing her opponent's chest like a knife through butter. The magical arrow through his flesh, the entirety of his being burst into flame to the sound of his agonized screams.

On the ground below, Djavul watched the spectacle with a scowl. He hated seeing his men die; it was so hard to find good replacements... He looked out a few feet to where Arwen contiuned her battle with his two other soldiers. There was really no use bringing any more men into the fight. He turned his face up to where Kalie hovered triumphantly amidst the darkened branches; this one would have to be dealt with by a magic-user. He sighed dismally: he was _not_ a magic-user. _This_, of course, did not mean that he was not capable of putting her through an immense amount of pain...

Arwen, as odd as it may seem, was a very good fighter. Her father Parn had taught her the way of the sword at a very young age, and her elven mother Deedlit had taught her that speed was the key to winning most battles. She smiled as she felt her blade slide through one of her opponents' gut; she was quite satisfied to hear the customary 'thump' of his body falling to the ground not much later. Now only one dark elf remained.

Meanwhile, Djavul faced off against Kalie, "Don't I know you?" Kalie asked off-handedly after getting a good look at the dark elf. Djavul shrugged, "I don't care." He replied with a blood-thirsty grin, then took a slice at her head. Kalie ducked out of the way and tried a cross-swipe at Djavul's midsection; her opponent effortlessly snaked his body out of reach and laughed heartily at the failed attempt. The two locked their swords in a battle of strength for a moment or two, giving Djavul the opportunity needed to back Kalie up against the trunk of a large tree. He laughed again and prepared a killing blow, but Kalie managed to puch him across the face with the hilt of her sword.

"Now I remember you!" Kalie cried wide wide-eyed surprise, "You're Rose's brother!".

Djavul wiped blood from his nose and reached into his vest, "I don't know what you're talking about." He said through clenched teeth and pulled out another set of five daggers. He flicked his wrist and sent the daggers blistering towards Kalie; each blade dug into the elf's clothing, pinning her back against the large-trunked tree that she had been pressed to a moment ago.

Djavul's smile grew wide again and he waved his sword menacingly, "I'm going to kill you now." He stated gingerly and charged Kalie with a war cry. To his surprise, when his blade got to within an inch of her throat, she disappeared...and he remembered that he wasn't supposed to kill his hostages, that had been Ka's orders.

With a heavy sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and moved to retrieve his daggers, "Yes, that one will _definately_ have to be dealt with by a magic-user." He grumbled, roughly pulling his blades from the tree and slipping them back into his vest. That over with, he turned to look down at Arwen; she had already killed one of his soldiers, as Kalie had, and that was enough of a loss for the day. With displeasure clearly written on his face, he made his way back down to ground-level and signaled for the soldier fighting Arwen to back off.

All too happy to leave this particular woman alone, the dark-elven soldier heeded his leader's commands and darted to side, then into the trees and out of reach. When he was joined by Djavul, he found himself cowering under the other man's scowl, "We will return to the Empress empty handed this day." Djavul declared pointedly, with a dryness to his tone that denoted much irritation and disappointment. The soldier raised an eyebrow at his leader, "Empress Ka will not like that." He remarked, as if to encourage the battle to continue.

Djavul returned his soldier's quizzical gaze, "Would you rather stay and die?" He asked him. The dark-elven soldier sheathed his sword and shrugged, "It makes no difference, really; I can die here against the half-elf or return to the fortress and be killed by Ka." He stated with a lofty smirk, "Either way, I lose." He shook his head desolately and looked to Djavul for acknowledgement.

Djavul's features remained chiseled in stone.


	6. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 5~

"Where is the elf?" Ka asked upon seeing Djavul enter her throne room, "Or the half-breed for that matter?" She added with a slight hint of irritation in her voice. The dark elven soldier had returned empty handed from his morning hunt; an particularly valid excuse was in order at this point...

Djavul strode through the room with a reluctant step, and came to a halt before the stairs leading up to the dias of the empress' throne, "Empress Ka," He began apologetically, sweeping low with a bow that had the flourish of a gesture designed to please a god, "Capturing the elven maid and her half-elven friend poses a larger difficulty that we had previously assumed it would. My men and I ambushed them in the forest moments ago and I lost two of my warriors in the process." He explained with downcast eyes.

An unimpressed look crossed Ka's stony face as she heard the man's pathetic words, "So you're saying that you and your men are incompetant." She remarked dully and watched Djavul look up at her with sudden indignation and disbelief, "You lost two men? My, my...your forces could not compete against those of the elf and her friend? What kind of a soldier lets two simple girls get away from him? Perhaps I should appoint a new leader for the perimeter guard division..." She threatened apocalyptically. With amusement in her gaze, Ka watched as Djavul's eyes widened; within seconds, the dark elf was cowering at her feet.

"Empress no!" Djavul cried with sudden panic, as he did not care to lose the position that he had worked so hard for, "They are not simple girls! The half-elf is a magnificent warrior and the elf is a magic-user! I would have lost two of my men to the half-elf, but I decided to pull back instead; I myself fought the elven sorceress, but she got away from me before I could stri--" He paused, remembering Ka's orders to take the two women alive, "--before I could capture her." He corrected quickly, glancing furtively up from the empress' feet in order to get a quick assessment of her reaction to his words.

Ka blinked, "Really?" She mused after a moment, "A warrior and a mage, hmm?" She continued. Gently, she reached down and dug her fingers into the dark elven soldier's thick white hair, and then, roughly, she jerked his head back so that he would look at her in the eye, "A fine denfence you have there, Djavul," She hissed malignantly, "but it is not enough to excuse the fact that Arwen and Kalie are still out there and _not_ in my dungeons!!!" She cried, throwing him back and off of her feet, "You will return to hunt them down by dusk.".

Djavul, on his backside now and at the bottom of the dias stairs, wasn't really surprised at Ka's stubborn reaction, "The elf...she is a mage and none of my men can deal with her directly." He protested, "I need magical help." He eyed the room's shadowy corners for a moment, then leaned to the side to have a look behind Ka's throne, "Where is my sister?" He asked suddenly, aware of the fine line he was walking, "With her help, the elven girl will be delivered to you by dawn." He declared confidently.

Ka thought it over a moment as Djavul got to his feet, "Rose has business here, I'm afraid I cannot let her leave with you and your men." She said after a bit. A look of pained acceptance crossed Djavul's dark face and his chest heaved with a sigh. Ka shifted in her seat and though a bit more, "However," She started, raising a finger, "I could ask her to 'lend' you some magic, so to speak, in order to help you on your mission.". 

Djavul's face brightened and he dared to make his way back up to Ka's throne, "That could do," He figured aloud, slowly dropping to one knee before his empress, yet keeping his eyes locked with hers as he thought the suggestion over, "I understand Rose's place; I will accept her magical gift and the elven sorceress will be dealt with accordingly." He declared at length, the usual cruel smile returning to his lips.

"Then it is settled." Ka uttered with a curt nod. Keeping her eyes on Djavul's grin, she called for Rose and the dark elven sorceress appeared seconds later.

"Yes Ka?" Rose asked lightly, stepping out of the shadows from behind the imperial throne; her flowing scarlet robes seemed alive in the torchlight, "How may I be of service?" She offered, glancing curiously at her brother Djavul as she stepped around to the front of the throne. How come he hadn't returned with Arwen and Kalie?

Ka pointed down at the soldier kneeling before her, "Your brother needs your magic in order to capture the two trespassing girls." She explained to her right hand, "It appears that there is a magic user in the crew -- the elf woman, to be exact. Djavul here faced off against her but she slipped his grasp with the help of her arcane abilities. He needs you to 'lend' him some of your talent so that he can execute the task I set him to." She raised an eyebrow at Rose and waited patiently for an answer.

The sorceress blinked and looked down at her brother, "The elf is a mage, you say?" She asked curiously.

Djavul got to his feet, somewhat unsure if Ka would mind or not, and nodded to his sister, "Yes. She claims she knows you." He sneered disdainfully, "I remember no elf in your past, Rose." He remarked pointedly.

Rose's nose twitched and within moments, her brow furrowed, "What did she look like?" She asked hastily. 

"Like any other bloody elf." Djavul spat, "Blond, big eyes, irritating voice. 'Kalie', I think her name is.".

"Kalie?!" Rose cried, her eyes growing wide all of a sudden.

Leaning foreward on her thone, Ka frowned deeply, "That's right. Djavul told us their names last night, remember?" She asked annoyedly.

Of course, Rose _didn't_ remember _anything_ about the night before; she had been drunk and had probably said and done some pretty ridiculous things. Now, however, she processed everything with startling clarity; the alchool's effect worn away, she recognized the name Kalie as though it was her own, "When I was younger, and the dark elves were just beginning to dislike the white elves, I was in the same community as Kalie." Rose began to explain to both Ka and Djavul, "I used to pick on her...a great deal." She smiled evilly at the thoughts that came rushing back to her, "My magic was always stronger than hers and I was quite fond of rubbing it in her face as often as I could manage." She chuckled to herself, amused at the new turn of things, "It would appear that she's come back for more...".

"Then how does she know me?" Djavul piped in at once, crossing his arms over his chest.

Rose, lost in her own thoughts, came back to earth suddenly, "Oh. She probably saw you around the house, I suppose." She answered logically and smiled at her brother. With that, she smoothed the front of her robes and looked over at Ka, "Now what was this you were saying about lending Djavul my magic?" She asked lightly.

Ka idly threw her legs over one of the armrests of her throne, "Give him some arcane talent so he can catch Kalie without dying in the process." She replied simply. As Rose mulled over the possibilities of such a command, Ka's gaze found its way back to Djavul. The dark elf awaited his sister's reponse with a chiseled expression, all-the-while fingering one of the daggers hidden in his vest. Ka found herself smirking; Djavul was a handsome man. 

"Alright." Rose said after a long moment of fruitful silence, startling Ka out of her contemplations, "I will lend my brother some magic, but it won't last very long. In fact, he'll have to do everything he has to before sunset tomorrow night." She added, wrinkling her nose at the thought of such a short time period. 

Ka nodded, "I think Djavul can manage that..." She mused, casting a challengingly playful glance over at the man in question, "...right?" She piped placatingly. 

Djavul's chiseled expression did not fade, although his eyes spoke volumes on his thoughts, "I will not fail you again, Empress." He responded coolly, bowing low.

When he had stood up once again to face her, Ka purred "We'll see."

***

"How's your arm?" Arwen asked Kalie for the hundredth time since the morning's attack.

Kalie blew a stand of disheveled hair from her face, "It's fine." She replied curtly. She had wrapped her wounded arm in a torn piece of her cloak, and luckily, she noticed that the arrow hasn't been poisoned. Now, however, her paranoia about 'something watching her' was worse than it had been before; she couldn't allow herself to stop walking because she was certain that if she did, she and Arwen would be attacked once again.

Arwen wasn't too disturbed by the attack; her mood has suffered a bit, but she had forced herself to admit that it was highly unlikely that she and Kalie could trek through the forest of Marmo without being attacked at least once or twice. 

"Oh my god! Is _that_ it?!" Kalie's voice errupted after a short moment. She had stopped in her tracks, for the first time since morning, and she was pointing at a looming shape on the horizon. Arwen stepped up beside her and squinted in the afternoon light; in the distance was a chaotically-peaked, high-walled fortress standing uncertainly atop a slight ground elevation. It would have been visible to the two travellers a long time ago if it wasn't for the trees and thicket that kept it shrouded and out of direct sight.

Kalie jumped up and down despite herself, in order to get a better look at the fortress they came to raid, "I can't really make out a door..." She mumbled to herself, bobbing from side to side like an excited child waiting in line to see a spectacular show. 

"Does it really matter right now, Kalie?" Arwen remarked, keeping her eyes on the forbidding structure ahead, "We're not quite there yet, you see. We've got some more walking to do before we can start to worry about doors and windows." Her tone was unusually blunt, but not repremanding. She sighed to herself, aware of what their poximity to the empress' fortress meant; Ka would surely have sentinels and who knows what else lurking in these woods. Arwen was also certain that trespassers were not things that Ka would approve of. 

"Let's just keep going," Arwen declared, marching on ahead of her friend, "I want to get this over with while I'm still young." She smiled a moment as a comforting thought appeared inside her head. Even if Ka _did_ send out more soldiers or creatures or whatever, she was sure that she could defeat them. Her fight against the two dark elven warriors had upped her courage and confidence; if the empress' men were all of the same type, then she and Kalie would have no problem cutting through them.

The elf and her half-breed friend walked for the entiety of the afternoon, without resting, and by nightfall, they were practically in Ka's backyard. Unfortunately for them, they were not the only ones there at the time.

Up in the trees, Djavul grinned at the sight of Kalie and Arwen; he was surprised that they had made such good time. Crouching down, the dark elf anxiously clutched the amulet around his neck; it was with this amulet that Rose had lent him her powers. As Kalie and Arwen stepped into the area where Djavul and his men were hidden, he moistened his lips. He couldn't afford to fail the empress this time; the elf and her friend were too close to the fortress for comfort, Ka was getting impatient, and Rose had spent quite some time fabricating the amulet that he wore around his neck.

Silently, he motioned to his men that the time had come.

Arwen yelped in suprise as a group of dark elves deftly jumped down from the towering trees above; she yelped again as she was grabbed from behind, "Kalie!" She cried, looking over at her elven friend. Before she could get a good look at Kalie, though, three soldiers stepped up before her with their weapons drawn.

A few feet away, Kalie whirled around to see Arwen surrounded in dark elven warriors. Immediately, she unsheathed her own slender sword and started towards her friend to help out; however, as she stepped foreward, she came face to face with a familiar soldier, "You!" She cried, jumping back from Djavul and holding out her weapon defensively, "Don't you know when to quit?" She asked irritably.

Djavul laughed richly, "I quit when your carcass lies rotting in the empress' dungeons." He retorted with an evil sneer, "Which is soon, I assure you." He added mockingly.

"Not likely!" Kalie cried and charged her attacker, blade first. Just as her sword would have slipped through him, Djavul disappeared...only to reappear behind Kalie. With a laugh, he kicked her in the back, knocking her to the ground. She turned around and watched confusedly as an amber-coloured amulet around Djavul's neck began to shimmer; the dark elf seemed to be concentrating on something and the amulet shone brighter. Kalie moved to get up, but Djavul's hand shot out at her and a beam of energy struck her in the chest, sending her flying back against a tree a few meters away. 

Djavul smiled brightly and headed towards the fallen Kalie, slowly unsheathing his sword.

Meanwhile, Arwen had her hands full with the mass of soldiers surrounding her. She had gotten rid of the one that had grabbed her from behind, and she was in the process of fighting two others that had been quick to challenge her. They were quick, but she was quicker nd the two were dispatched with ease and agility.

She began to fight another soldier when she heard a dull crashing sound. She quickly turned to see what was happening and caught a glimpse of Kalie hitting a tree full-force; she followed the projectory trail and her eyes fell upon Djavul. Unfortunately for Arwen, she had to learn to pay attention to the matter at hand, for just as she turned around, the dark elf she was supposed to have been fighting took a nice gash out of her back. The blow should have taken her head from her shoulders, but she had moved just in time to throw the dark elven warrior off course.

"You hurt me!" Arwen yelled at the slender soldier, her eyes wide with indignation. Before her, the dark elf smiled evilly and waved his bloody sword. Without thinking twice, Arwen barrelled into the other man with a growl and took her sword through a series of precise motions that her opponent could not hope to block. When she pulled back from him, he fell to the ground dead, a multitude of well-placed cuts lacing the entirety of his body.

Her back against a tree, Kalie slowly got to her feet, eyeing the oncoming dark elf with clenched teeth. She didn't remember Djavul being able to use magic before... 

"Want some more, elf?" Djavul teased, raising his hand to unleash another bolt of magical energy.

Kalie flitted out of the way, but not before noticing the bright little stone hanging from Djavul's neck, "So _that's_ the ticket!" She cried to herself, "That amulet!" She whirled around to meet her opponent and smiled sweetly, "Your magic is fake, but mine is so very real!" She purred with an out-of-place giggle. With that, she pointed to him and unleashed a missile of her own, "Fire Arrow!" She cried and the bolt unerringly darted for Djavul's heart. 

"Nice try." Djavul remarked pointedly, stepping out of the way. He dove for Kalie with his sword, slashing this way and that almost unprofessionnally, but managing to keep the elven maid on her heels due to the irregular motion. He managed to re-open the wound in her arm, causing her great pain, but not much else damage-wise.

When Kalie got in too close, Djavul unleashed a volley of magical missiles that each connected with Kalie's body, bruising her under the skin...and not to mention throwing her off of him, "You poor fool!" Djavul chuckled, striding towards Kalie as the elf tried to pick herself up from her undesireably position, "You are no match for me now that I have magic..." He went on, stepping over Kalie and grinning maniacally, "...especially magic from the one who you were never able to best!" He added, his eyes glinting dangerously.

It took a moment for Kalie to understand what he meant, but then it came together for her: Rose! Rose had lent her brother her magical abilities through the use of the amulet around his neck. She shuddered as she wondered just how _much_ of Rose's power Djavul had at his command...

The amulet shimmered again and Djavul's grin grew wider, "It's over for you now, I'm afraid." He declared with a desolate, sarcastic sigh as he prepared a spell that would incapactitate Kalie enough to be able to deliver her to Ka. He frowned as he realized that he'd much rather kill her...

Kalie knew what was going on and she also knew she had no time for escape, "Stop!" She cried, gathering her magic and sending it into her words. Above her, Djavul froze. Breathing heavily, she thanked the spirits that the spell had worked...but she didn't quite know how long it would take for it to wear off. Determinedly, she got to her feet, with much effort, and raised her sword to strike the evil Djavul down; before she could strike, however, she heard Arwen's scream and re-directed her attention to the matter of her friend.

Before Kalie ran to help out, however, she gingerly took the amulet from around Djavul's neck and threw it to the ground. With a smile, she crushed it with the heel of her boot.

Arwen, no longer able to hold off the many soldier that were after her, had taken flight into the woods beyond...and everyone of the dark elven warriors had taken off after her. She kept tripping over upraised roots and rocks, and the cut in her back was killing her...how would she ever triumph in this fight?! 

"Spirit of Water, lend me your strength!" Came Kalie's crisp voice from somewhere behind Arwen, "Ice Attack!" Came the final cry and soon, Arwen's ears filled with the sound of screaming dark elves. She stopped, panting, and turned to look behind her; a grotesque scene unfolded before her eyes then. The small group of soldiers that had been running after her were on the ground, squirming and groaning and clutching at icy spikes transpersing their bodies. From behind the dying group appeared Kalie, looking rather worn.

"Are you okay?" Kalie called out to Arwen, picking her way through the field of death. Arwen nodded, her face a shocked mess.

Meanwhile, back on the forest path, Djavul came to. Instictively, his hand went to his neck in search of the amulet; it was gone, "I knew it." He hissed, looking around to see where everyone had gone. Arwen and Kalie were no where to be seen and neither were his men.

A soldier jumped from his perch and landed at Dajvul's side, "Sir!" He cried, breathing heavily as though he had been running just a moment ago, "Five are dead and the two girls are gone." He reported with a worried look in his eye. Djavul stared at the soldier a moment and remained quiet. Ominously, the young soldier frowned, "We can't return to the empress empty-handed yet another time." He remarked, prodding his leader into action.

Djavul ran his fingers through his hair and smirked up at his underling, "So we won't." He answered quiantly, "Gather the others and follow me".


	7. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 6~

"Ow!" Arwen cried as Kalie poured another bit of water on her wound. Both of them had continued their trek towards Ka's fortress, but this time, they had taken a side-route instead of staying on the beaten path. That way they'd be harder to find if the empress ever decided to send any other soldiers or anything else after them.

"Be quiet and bear it." Kalie snapped, bending down to gather more streamwater into her cupped hands. It was early night now, and she and Arwen had stopped at a icy-watered little stream in order to drink and nurse their wounds. There really wasn't anything that could be done about Kalie's wounds, as the magical attacks that she had suffered caused pains that could not be dealt with by the use of bandages and horrid-smelling remedies. Arwen, however, had suffered a wound that had to be taken care of immediately before it got infected; the wide gash on Arwen's upper back ran almost from shoulder to shoulder, and Kalie knew that Arwen could feel it whenever her shoulder blades moved.

With a sigh of regret, Kalie tore yet another piece of her cloak, "I'm just about done." She mumbled to herself as much as to Arwen. Gently, she wrapped the heavy material around her friend's upper body and then tied it in a not-too-tight knot near Arwen's upper ribs, "There." Kalie said lightly and smiled at her handy work, "Now don't move too much, okay?" She asked then as Arwen pulled on her tunic greatfully.

"I thought it was never gonna end." The half-elf grumbled, stiffling a yawn. She still couldn't believe that she had to run away from the five dark elves that had been after her; she just hadn't been able to face them all with the wound in her back. If it hadn't been for Kalie, she would surely have died out there. "I put a few of them down, Kalie, you should have seen me in action!" Arwen said after a bit, looking forlornly into the little stream beside her, "It's just that there were so many of them _after_...I just couldn't fight them all with my back killing me..." She went on almost apologetically, "Thanks for being there for me".

A crack of thunder sounded in the distance and Kalie felt a droplet of rain hit her nose, "You're most welcome, Arwen." She answered happily and looked around for a possible shelter for them to stay in for the night to avoid getting soaked. There was nothing in sight that could serve as such a haven, and it made Kalie suddenly bitter. It would appear that the closest form of shelter was Ka's fortress.

Feeling the rain coming down heavier now, Arwen drew closer to Kalie, "How did _your_ end of the fight go?" She asked, following the elf's gaze as she looked out and up at the darkened, forbidding shape that was Ka's fortress.

Kalie frowned and looked over at her friend, "I fought my childhood bully's brother." She stated dully, "He was wearing an amulet that gave him magical powers...but I smashed it so there's nothing to worry about." She watched Arwen's eyes widen, "I didn't kill him...I was going to but then you screamed so I went afer you instead. I should have killed him; he's probably out in the woods right now, somewhere up in the trees, planning his next attack on us." She hung her head and ran her fingers through her hair, "Oh well," She sighed, trying a smile on for size, "Perhaps you and I should move on before the storm gets too overpowering.".

Arwen nodded sullenly as another crack of thunder sounded, seconds after a bolt of lightning illuminated the sky, casting an eerie light over the sharp turrets and corners of empress Ka's fortress up ahead, "We're going in there right now, Kalie, and I don't care what you say." She declared, striding foreward determinedly, "I'm not going to suffer another attack by those insane dark elves. And I'm _definately_ not going to risk getting attacked by anything else that may live here." She added pointedly.

"It's your call, really." Kalie remarked, picking up the pace behind Arwen, "I'm not the one that has to fight the big fight at the end of this.".

Arwen quietly examined the fortress up ahead and pursed her lips in thought. Kalie was right; the elf was technically only along for the ride, while Arwen was the one who would challenge Ka in the end. 

***

From the window of the highest turret of the fortress, Ka and Rose stood, watching over the forest line below.

"How do you suppose your brother is doing?" Ka asked her right-hand-woman after a moment. She and Rose had been standing there for quite a while now, each immersed in her own thoughts.

Rose kept her eyes on the woodlands when she spoke, "Djavul no longer carries my magic." She declared, her frustration showing but slightly on her dark face, "He has used it, of that I am sure...but he has lost it now. I cannot explain how." She finished solemnly, finally turning to face Ka. The empress' face showed no reaction to the declaration; Rose figured it was better that way. She wanted to ask Ka if Kardis had spoken to her in the past few days, but she found the subject rather tedious to board; if Ka had anything important to say, she would say it and Rose would not have to ask.

"He will not fail me." Ka said with a slight smile tweaking the edge of her lips, "If he values his life, he will not fail me." She repeated.

Silently, both the empress and the sorceress' gaze returned to the stormy woods below.

***

"Give me your hand!" Arwen whispered down at Kalie, holding out her hand to the elf who continued her pained struggle up the wet and muddy hill that crested the backside of Ka's fortress. It was well near midnight now, and the storm had only gotten worse; there came a crack of thunder every two seconds, it seemed, and both Kalie and Arwen feared that their presence near the fortress would be given away by the sharp bursts of light that the lightning provided.

"I still don't know how we're going to get _in_ there!" Kalie whispered back as she made it to her friend's side with a little help, "And do you even know _where_ to look for the Holy Sword of Falis?" She asked furthermore, pushing some wet hair from her eyes.

A small group of human, armored soldiers patrolled a run-down gate. Arwen watched them thoughtfully, "Back home, Marfa said to me that the Holy Sword would guide me to it once I was inside Ka's fortress." She recalled optimistically. After watching the guards a little while longer, she turned to Kalie with a plan, "Let's lure two of them here and take their clothing; then, to get inside the fortress, we'll tell the other guards that we saw something that would be of particular intrest to her and that we must speak with her at once." She explained hastily.

Kalie almost laughed at the silly plot, then figured that it was better than nothing, "Very well." She agreed and crouched down behind the muddy hill alongside Arwen. Calling to the spirits, she brought forth a colourful commotion that could attract the attention of both beast and man. As expected, one of the the guards noticed the unusual display and ventured towards its origin; with him came two others that followed along curiously.

Once the three soldiers came into Kalie's view, thus falling out of view of the others guards on patrol, Kalie whispered, "Stop!" And they froze in place just as Djavul had back in the woods. Hastily, Arwen and Kalie removed the helmets and armor of two of them and put it all on as quietly as they could.

"What about our voices?" Arwen asked Kalie from beneath her helmet just as they were about to walk out towards the edge of the fortress where the oher soldiers paced endlessly, "Won't they suspect the female voices?".

Kalie's voice was confident, "I'll fix it, trust me." She assured her and walked on ahead with a confident gait.

"What's going on over there?" One of the other guards demanded roughly, once Kalie and Arwen had made it to the gate.

"Step aside, there are things going on in that forest out there that the empress should know about. I must speak to her at once!" Kalie declared in an unmistakeably masculine voice that boomed gravely from beneath her helmet. Beside her, Arwen had to hold back from laughing; magic was a thing of many wonders for her...

The soldier thought a moment, and, rather dumbly, stepped aside and signalled two of his men to haul open the gate, "Quickly!" He rushed, ushering both women through the gate with un-practiced technique. 

Kalie and Arwen strode inside, but, once they had turned the nearest corner, they bolted out of sight at top speed.

They arrived in a torchlit hallway, walled with rough dark stone and richly-coloured wall hangings, "Okay, how now brown cow?" Kalie asked brightly, exhilarated by the easy entrance into the fortress. She removed her helmet but chose to keep the stolen armor...you just never know what could happen.

Arwen closed her eyes, after removing her own helmet, and listened. After a short moment, she could feel what she was looking for; a soft presence caressed her consciousness, much like when Marfa spoke to her telepathically. It was as though the Holy Sword of Falis was speaking to her in a language that only she could understand.

"It's in the east wing." Arwen declared after a short while, a smile spreading across her face.

Kalie raised and eyebrow quizzically, "That's nice," She mused, "but...where's that from here?".

Arwen's face went blank, "Dang." Came her sullen reply.


	8. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 7~

"I'm not so sure about this anymore." Kalie whispered hoarsely, creeping up behind Arwen and being all too careful to remain hidden in the shadows. She had valiantly followed Arwen's instincts and ventured deeper into the empress of Marmo's fortress. It was strangely quiet, and few guards partolled the area; this was good, for Kalie and Arwen really couldn't go around killing everything that moved -- such a trail would be left behind for unwelcome eyes to see and interpret.

Arwen continued to follow the alluring guidance of the Holy Sword of Falis; she had never felt such power from an object, and she had never guessed that it could speak...let alone speak to _her_! But there was no question about it now; the Holy Sword urged her to hasten towards the east wing of the fortress, where it was being kept. Arwen just _had_ to get it back!

"Shut up!" Arwen hissed through clenched teeth, "The more you talk, the more chances we have of being caught." She cast an angry glance back her friend, who pouted childishly and crossed her arms over her chest, and pressed on through the cold and stony torchlit hallways. Frankly, she didn't know if she was heading the right way, but, she figured, at least she'd know which way _wasn't_ the right way once she'd explored it.

They nimbly climbed a wide, sweeping staircase which lead them to the uppermost chambers of the fortress. One could hear soldiers milling about in the halls, so Arwen and Kalie hastily put their stolen helmets back on in order to look less conspicuous. They stalked through the red-carpeted halls as fast as negligently as they could manage, until they arrived at a large set of ebony double doors, ornamented with detailed carvings of ancient dragons. The elf and the half-elf both stopped before the doors and stood on either side of them, in a guarding fashion.

"No, over there!" Came a loud female voice from within the chamber.

Kalie stirred, as the voice was familiar...although she couldn't place it right then. She looked over at Arwen and raised an eyebrow worriedly beneath her helmet; both of them had hoped that there would be no one in the chamber, so that they could converse a while about the next steps of their mission. 

Arwen, however, didn't seem to have heard the voice that worried Kalie. She had her eyes closed and seemed to be 'listening' again; suddenly, she opened her eyes and glanced over at Kalie with excitement in her gaze, "This is the place! The Sword is here!" She barely whispered to Kalie's disbelief...and relief. At least they wouldn't have to stay within Ka's fortress for longer than they had...

Just as Arwen's barely-audible whisper had ended, the great double-doors flew open, nearly crushing Kalie and Arwen. Out of them swept a dark elven woman with flowing scarlet robes, and a deep scowl; she was followed by two warriors of her race as well.

"Get down to the central chambers, Gladariel!" The dark elven woman ordered one of her soldiers, as she stopped before entering the hallway beyond. She turned to the other man at her side and pointed to the soldier that had just left at top speed, "What are standing there for? Go with him!" She cried irritably and the man saluted and took off after his comrade. With a sigh, she ran her fingers through her hair and whirled to face Arwen and Kalie, "What are you two looking at?" She snapped, unable to indentify them due to their helmets and stolen armor.

Arwen and Kalie remained silent; Arwen because of a lack of anything to say, and Kalie because of surprise. 

"Hmph." The dark elven woman growled and turned to stalk down the halls.

When the woman was out of sight, Kalie and Arwen slipped into the darkened chamber and closed the heavy, ornamented doors behind them. Arwen removed her helmet and gawked as she caught sight of her prize, laying on a raised stone slab at the back of the chamber. She could feel the warmth of its welcome, and it seemed to sing in her ears. Immediately, she bolted for it and took it gently from its resting place, only to hold it up before her in triumph. In thanks, the Holy Sword of Falis emanated a silvery light that bathed the room in its healthy glow.

"I've found it, Marfa!" Arwen called to her Goddess, positive that the Goddess of creation was watching her at the moment. 

Marfa's voice was soft in her mind, "You have done well, my child. But your trepidation is not yet over; you must return the Sword to Valis!" She warned, from within Arwen's head.

Arwen nodded, "I will, Marfa; I will!" She vowed confidently, the heavy feeling of the past week disappearing from her soul. With that, she turned on Kalie, "I've got the Sword, Kalie, look!" She declared excitedly, holding up the weapon for the elf to see.

Kalie, however, was not rejoicing, "That's nice." She tried with a slight smile.

Arwen frowned and walked over to where her friend stood, "What's wrong?" She asked concernedly.

Kalie looked at the double doors and back over at Arwen, "Remember in the woods when I told you that I had fought my childhood bully's brother?" She asked, her voice wavering; Arwen nodded and she continued, "Well, that dark elven woman that came out of this room a second ago was his sister...in other words, my childhood bully." She declared ominously.

"So?" Arwen piped petulantly.

After giving her friend a hard look, Kalie sighed, "That woman is a very powerful sorceress by the name of Lady Rose; I used to live in the same village as her in my youth. She is stronger than I am and her magic more than rivals my own; if she finds out that I am here _now_, she will seek to kill me." She shook her head, "I can't believe Rose is working for Ka..." She paused, "...no, never mind. It makes sense." She figured internally, expecting as much from the foul sorceress.

Arwen patted her friend's shoulder, "Just stay away from her, that's all." She smiled optimistically up at Kalie, "We're leaving this dump-of-a fortress right now anyway." She added.

Any relief that could have flowed through Kalie right then was drastically taken away as the ebony doors flew open for the second time that day. In the doorway stood Djavul, an evil grin on his lean visage, "Well well well," He purred as a small group of his men gathered behind him, "look who I have the pleasure of running into once again." He laughed richly and unsheathed his slender sword, "This time, ladies, you will not get away from me.".

With that, he and his men tore into the room and charged Kalie and Arwen. Caught on the spot, the two girls found much difficulty in holding proper defense; Arwen managed to slay one soldier with the Holy Sword, but the other attackers knocked her off her feet and wrenched her weapon away from her. She almost felt like crying, but that privilege was taken from her as she was hit in the back of her head with a sword hilt, thus sending her to the ground unconscious. The last thing she saw as her cheek pressed against the cold stone floor was the dying light of the Holy Sword of Falis, a few feet off to the side.

Kalie had no better luck than Arwen had. Before she could unsheath her own sword, Djavul's daggers sent her reeling backwards as they zipped by her at top speed. The dark elven commander was upon her then, slashing his sword every which way and biting into flesh with every stroke; in seconds, Kalie dropped to the floor, a bloody mess...but still alive.

"And now to deliver you and your friend to empress Ka." Djavul said with a chuckle, standing over Kalie; without a second thought, and in order to satisfy himself, he planted a sharp kick into the elven woman's mid-section.

Kalie groaned and wished she hadn't come along for the trip.

***

Not much later, Djavul and his men appeared at Ka's audience chambers with a delightful smile on his face. Behind him marched two of his men, each bearing one of his prisoners, "I come bearing gifts, empress." He declared proudly, letting his men walk by him with a graceful arm gesture.

The empress, eyes wide with elation, errupted into laughter, "Excellent, Djavul!" She cried, grinning madly and clapping her hands, "Bravo! I knew you would not fail me twice!" She added, eyeing the still bodies of Kalie and Arwen as the two dark elven warriors brought them near the dias.

Djavul came forth and held out the Holy Sword of Falis, "This was almost taken from you, empress." He said with a hint of a warning, "They had made it all the way through fortress and had almost executed their appointed task." He raised an eyebrow at Ka.

"No doubt they entered through the back way." Ka figured aloud, frowning, "Otherwise they wouldn't have found their way to the east wing so soon. Oh well," She went on with a sigh, "the important thing is that they are mine now." She smiled evilly and shifted in her seat, eyeing Kalie and Arwen, "The armor they wear," She began, pointing to the stolen gear, "it is not theirs." She stated firmly, looking out at Djavul.

The dark elf shrugged, "I assume they ambushed some of the guards from out back and took their stuff." He replied non-chalantly.

Ka's face grew cold, "Then we will have to appoint some new guards, won't we?" She growled angrily. 

Djavul's smile grew wide, "I am sure my men will be much more proficient at the task then the human guards were." He offered slyly, not missing a chance to advance his men within the ranks of imperial guard. 

Ka chuckled to herself; the man was intelligent, "So be it. Have your men ready by dawn." She ordered on a light note. She motioned to the two dark elves who held Kalie and Arwen, "Bring them to the dungeons; we will deal with them tomorrow." She snapped and the two men left the room in quiet whispers.

With the two soldiers gone, Ka slipped off her throne and stepped before Djavul, "You have done well, soldier." She purred, drawing closer to him with every word, "How would you like to be rewarded?" She asked then, suggestively running a finger along the man's jaw.

"I think you already know." The dark elven warrior answered in a sedated voice, his smile remaining, "May I claim my prize now?" He asked.

Ka chuckled, "As you wish."


	9. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 9~

Lady Rose grumbled as she made her way through the halls of Ka's fortress. She had been summoned by the empress a few moments ago, and as such, had been pulled from her sadistic activities down in the dungeons. Since Ka had given her the green light for torturing Kalie and Arwen, Rose had been harassing the two women non-stop -- day and night. In fact, she hadn't been sleeping at all...for the last 3 days. Ka had been quiet during this entire time, and had only come down to watch Rose toy with her captives once. Rose found this odd, as the empress was a great fan of torture, and she assumed that today's meeting with Ka would reveal to her what the problem was...

Rose halted by the entrance to Ka's audience hall; inside, she could hear the empress talk to herself...or to Kardis, one or the other. It could have been both, really. Rose knew that it was highly unwise to eavesdrop on Ka like she did at times, but it was ever interesting to do so...

The quiet, one-sided chatter stopped a moment and, curiously, Rose peered inside the room. Ka stood by a large window, staring into a fair-sized, square object that she held loosely in her hands. Making a great effort not to make too much noise, Rose stepped inside the room and headed for where Ka stood. She walked up to the empress and stood behind her, peering over her shoulder; what Ka was staring at was an old painting of a reddish-haired man standing proudly in elaborate battle gear.

"You know I barely knew him." Ka spoke after a short moment, sensing Rose's barely-noticeable presence at her back, "I hear many stories about him, and I simply don't know which to believe." She added with a sigh. She fell silent, contemplating the painting of the ancient emperor Beld, her father.

Rose smirked slightly, looking past Ka's shoulder and out the window, "Beld was a hero, Ka." She said in a sedate voice, offering the knowledge that her years beyond Ka's could offer, "But his ambition was too great. Lodoss could have been his..." She quieted herself as the empress cut her off.

"I look nothing like him." Ka remarked, running her fingers over the rough surface of the canvas.

"Ah, but you do, Ka. You do." Rose breathed at length, "But not in the physical sense." She added wisely, "Although, you _do_ have his eyes." She smiled and eyed the painting in Ka's hands. The painter who had made the artwork had well captured Beld's slate green eyes; Ka had inherited the same eyes, although they were marred with madness now because of Kardis' presence within the woman's mind. Rose shook her head, it was such a waste, "You look like your mother." She concluded at last, and it was indeed true.

A chuckle escaped Ka's lips then, and she turned to face her right-hand-woman, "So I am my father trapped inside my mother's body?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Rose laughed despite herself, "Yes, that's right." She answered, unable to hide her smile. To Rose's surprise, Ka's smile mirrored her own.

"What an amusing thought!" The empress laughed, clutching the painting to her armored chest, "What an amusing, silly thought!" She went on, giggling like a small child.

Rose watched Ka with a strange sense of serenity. Kardis wasn't there at the time, it would seem, for the empress' eyes were bright, like her father's had been.

***

"Why did I _ever_ agree to this?" Silk asked himself out loud, as he slowly made his way through the thick forest surrounding Ka's fortress. He had been transported closer to his goal than Arwen and Kalie had, but it wasn't without risk, "No one comes to Momo anyway!" He cried indignantly, kicking a small stone far off to the side.

"This island is called Marmo, not Momo." Came a voice from within Silk's mind.

The wiry thief jerked back violently, clutching his chest, "Sweet mother of crap!" He cried breathlessly, "How many times do I have to tell you to _warn_ me before you talk to me through my brain?!" He continued, unaware of the fact that he was yelling at someone who could hear him wether he spoke or not, "What is it that you want? Shouldn't you be gone?" He demanded irritably. He didn't want to be on this journey, and being scared to death every now and then wasn't the way to give him courage.

Marfa spoke in an equally hostile tone, "Be quiet, Silk." The goddess snapped, "I have come to bid you farewell and to give you a few last instructions." She paused, awaiting a comment but recieving none, "Stay on your guard and head North. When you reach the fortress, don't bother looking for any secret entrances that will lead you directly to the dungeons -- there are none." She finished pointedly.

Silk put his hands on his hips and rolled his eyes, "And how would _you_ know?" He asked impudently.

"Goodbye Silk," Marfa responded simply, "and good luck.". With that, she was gone.

Mumbling an oath, Silk pressed on into the dark forest of Marmo, "I'll call it Momo if I _want_ to..." He grumbled bitterly after a long moment of silent sulking.

***

"I'm afraid Kardis is not happy with me, Rose." Ka declared desolately, placing her father's picture back on the far wall, "She wants me to kill Arwen and Kalie as soon as possible." She tried to straighten the frame, but it kept tipping crookedly; finally, she left it as it was and turned back to face her sorceress.

Rose's face blanched momentarily; so this was why Ka hadn't taken part in the 'festivities', "I am sorry to have caused this problem." She stammered instantly, clasping her slender hands together, "I simply did not see keeping the two prisoners as being a--" She started apologetically, but Ka cut her off with a negligent hand gesture.

"I know," The empress began, "me neither. But it would appear that Kardis has a problem with it." She ran her fingers through her hair and thought things over a moment, "I will speak to Kardis about the issue and I'm sure she'll allow you to play with my prisoners for a small while longer." She concluded at length, "But for now, I have other matters to attend to.".

Interested now, Rose raised an eyebrow, "The war?" She asked curiously, "You are beginning preparations?" She prodded furthermore. Ka had been mounting an army for a very long time, but she hadn't actually put it to work yet. Could the empress actually be ready for the strike on Lodoss? Had Kardis finally given her the green light for domination of all Lodoss?

A slow smile crept onto Ka's face then, and she anxiously fingered the hilt of the Demon Sword at her hip, "Indeed, Rose." She purred, her eyes shimmering at the mention of war, "Kardis spoke to me earlier in the week; the time has come. Marmo will be called to attention in the following few days, and within two to three weeks, my army will be ready to march out!" She grinned triumphantly, barely able to hold back a shout of elation. She had been itching for a real battle since the day Kardis had entered her mind, and now she could finally play out her dream!

Rose shivered suddenly, despite herself, "I see." She answered quietly, then looked up at Ka thoughtfully; she opened her mouth to add something to her earlier words, but then she decided against it and cleared her throat instead.

"Does war frighten you, Rose?" Ka asked, cocking her head to the side in a faulty attempt at reading the sorceress' thoughts through her facial expression.

"No." Rose lied hastily, "I've lived through many of them, and I've even prospered because of them." She added, but this time it was no lie. War never really bothered Rose before, when she wasn't directly involved in it, but now things were different...as much as she wanted to believe in Ka and her insane co-conscience, she couldn't help but have doubts that Marmo forces would at last be able to succeed where they had failed not so many years ago. But still, she _had_ asked Ka to help her exterminate the white elven race, hadn't she? That tied her into the entire deal quite tightly...

Ka stared at Rose a moment, then stepped forth and clapped a hand on her shoulder, keeping her eyes firmly level with the sorceress', "Despite what you think now, you will learn to love war." She vowed, "You will have to.".

Rose pulled her gaze from the empress' and dropped it to the floor, "Surely." Came her murmured reply.


	10. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 8~

Back in the city of Valis, Silk, a tall, rat-faced man with an incredible sense of humour, stood in the center of the temple of Marfa. He had been called to order by the Goddess herself; apparently, his skills were needed...

Paranoidly, Silk looked over his shoulder at the temple's entrance. He eyed it for a moment, expecting to have been followed by one of the many authorities that were after him. A master thief, Silk had many enemies and a lot of unpaid debts; everywhere he went, it seemed, there was always someone waiting to take him down. Fortunately for him, Silk was hardly ever alone when he walked the streets of Valis and its surroundings; an unorganized mob of two dozen rogues held to his side at all times, obeying his every command. 

Silk was never hard to get a hold of when he was needed for a rewarding mission; however, he had never before been called to order by a Goddess...

The cascading flowers atop Marfa's altar rustled gently, startling Silk; he whirled around from the entrance, drawing a dagger from his belt, "Don't run, I know you're there!" He called to the inanimate plants. Frowning in irritation, he started foreward as if to examine the altar more closely.

"Silk, stop that." Marfa's voice scolded from within the thief's mind.

Jumping back from the altar and clutching his chest, Silk put away his dagger, "You almost gave me a heart attack!" He gasped out loud, unaware that all he really had to do was think and Marfa would hear him, "I don't know if it's such a good idea that you be in my mind, your Goddess-ship..." He smiled mischievously, "...it gets kinda improper in there sometimes." He chuckled at his own joke. 

Marfa was not in the mood for pleasantries, "Silk, I'm afraid something awful has happened." She began immediately before the thief could go on with his smart remarks, "Not very long ago, I sent out two girls in search of the Holy Sword of Falis on the island of Marmo." She started before Silk cut her off.

"What's it doing _there_? I thought it was lost somewhere and no one could find it..." The thief mused thoughtfully. He looked around, in hopes that no one would witness the sight of him (seemingly) talking to himself.

"Someone _did_ find it, and this person must be stopped at all costs. Marmo has a new empress now; her name is Ka and she is the daughter of Beld. She is the one who was found the Holy Sword of Falis -- as well as the Demon Sword that once belonged to her father." The Goddess sighed, "I have sent Arwen, daughter of Parn, to retrieve the Holy Sword; she has taken her friend along with her too -- an elf named Kalie. You see, neither of them have returned. I have felt them reach the Sword...but then all contact stopped." She paused a long moment, thinking unpleasant thoughts, "I assume they were caught by Ka.".

Silk's eyes widened in surprise, "So _you_ want _me_ to venture out to Marmo and fetch Arwen and Kalie, along with the Holy Sword of Falis?" He asked, silently wishing for Marfa to say that there was more to this than she had previously explained...and that he didn't have to go to Marmo after all. The island was a place of great disarray, no one cared to go there.

"Yes, that's precisely it, Silk." Marfa's voice answered pointedly.

The thief's sharp nose twitched and he cocked his head to the side, "What's in it for me?" He asked, wondering if such bartering was acceptable when dealing with the Gods.

There was a moment of shocked silence on the part of Marfa, and Silk realized that he had overstepped his bounds once again.

After clearing his throat, Silk made up for the rude question, "Right...okay...so..." He coughed and took a non-chalant posture, "...when do I leave?" He asked off-handedly, pursing his lips. 

"You leave tonight at dusk. I will take you to Marmo, but from there on, you're on your own." Marfa replied sternly, suprised at her own tone. Normally, she would have wished her servant a kind word, much like she had with Arwen...but this time, and with this particular man Silk, the Goddess just couldn't seem to get herself to be as kind as she usually was. Perhaps she had a moral conflict inside of her due to the fact that she was seeking the aid of an immoral thief to do her bidding...but, as she reminded herself a couple thousand times, the end justifies that means.

Silk nodded, "May I bring some of my men?" He asked brightly, certain that the evil-infested island of Marmo held many suprises that he would need help dealing with.

Marfa's voice became almost lamenting, "I'm afraid not, Silk." She said dismally, "I will not put any more of my people in danger." She added protectively.

A cynical smile spread across Silk's angular face, "Just me." He remarked with a chuckle.

Marfa chose to ignore the comment.

***

Rose sat in the dungeons, watching Kalie and Arwen sleep in their respective cells. She had been watching them all night, especially the elf Kalie, in eager wait for the morning -- when she would be allowed to administer torture. All she had to do was wait for Ka to make her way down to the dungeons and give her the green light.

But Ka hadn't come down yet.

In her lap, Rose stroked an ornamented whip, "It's kinda like Christmas," She mused in a whisper, eyeing Kalie's sleeping form, "but there is simply _no way_ I am going to go jump on Ka's bed and beg her to come down to the dungeons with me in order to claim my 'presents'." She giggled at the thought and noticed that one of her prisoners had begun to stirr: it was Arwen.

Arwen groaned gently and shifted, pulling herself away from the side of her cell wall, "Wha--" She started, her wide eyes flickering open at last. She stopped moving as soon as she caught a glimpse of Rose, who sat grinning between her cell and Kalie's behind her.

"Good morning sunshine." Rose purred mockingly, getting up from her three-legged stool and taking hold of Arwen's prison bars, "I trust you slept well...I _have_ been watching you all night after all." She added with an evil chuckle.

"You're insane." Arwen spat, leaning back against the far wall of her cell in order to get as far away from Rose as was possible. She examined the dark elven sorceress for a moment, remembering her from the night before when she and Kalie had dressed up as guards and had pretended to watch the door of the chamber containing the Holy Sword of Falis. Arwen blinked. The Sword! Where was it now?! Surely Marfa would not like this...

Rose smiled, "No I'm not." She snapped, then she opened her mouth to say something more, but a slender dagger cut through her arm and buried itself there. In a fit of rage, she turned on Kalie, who had _apparently_ just woken up, "I thought your weapons had been taken from you when you were thrown in here!" She cried, wrenching the blade from her arm and slipping it into her own belt.

"Good morning to you too, Rose." Came Kalie's dry reply, "Your goons forgot to search my breastplate...which is surprising.".

Rose shook her head at the impudent little elf, "You were at point blank, Kalie." She said in a monotonous, irritated tone, "_Point blank_. And you _still_ managed to miss me!" She burst out laughing, hen clutched her bloody arm, "You were never very good at anything, though...so why would I expect more from you now?" She said maliciously.

"What's going on here, Rose?" Came Ka's voice from behind the sorceress.

Rose whirled around to face her and frowned deeply, she really hadn't heard the empress come down the stairs, "Your prisoners have awakened, Ka." She declared pointlessly. 

Ka pointed at Rose's wounded arm, "What's this?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Kalie had a knife in her armor and she attempted to kill me with it." Rose explained, laughing, "Sad, isn't it?" She pouted childishly and laughed again.

Unimpressed by the manoeuvre, Ka waved Rose aside, "Do bandage that up, and see if it is poisoned." She said hurriedly, wondering why on earth one of her prisoners was carrying a weapon while in custody. 

Rose, wrapping the torn sleeve of her thick robe around her arm, shook her head, "It's not poisoned." She said calmly, then looked up to search out Kalie's eyes, "I don't think the elf is smart enough for that." She added with a smile, then returned to her makeshift bandage, humming an ancient tune.

"I'm so glad I finally found you two." Ka declared with an elated sigh after a short moment; she paced back and forth between the two cells, "You know it was pretty stupid coming to Marmo in the first place." She smirked to herself, "Even with Marfa's help, you screwed up." She added placatingly. With that, he turned towards Arwen's cell and unsheathed the Demon Sword, "Rose, give me the keys to the cell; I want to get rid of them now." She called to her right-hand-woman, holding out her free hand towards the sorceress behind me.

Rose reached for the keys on her belt, but then she pulled back and stepped up beside the empress, "Ka?" She asked nicely, clasping her hands together, "Can we keep 'em a little longer?" She went on and the empress turned to face her with an impatient frown, "I would really like to torture them. I assure you that they will not escape...I will be in charge of them, that is, until they die." She finished and smiled sweetly.

Ka thought about it a moment, and turned back to Arwen's cell. The half-elf was so helpless, curled up against the far wall...she would be so easy to kill. Many problems would come to an end. However, now that she had both Arwen and Kalie in her custody, they were no longer such a big problem...especially if Rose had her sights on them twenty-four seven. The Holy Sword of Falis was in Ka's room now, and there was no way either of them had access to it -- even if Kalie was supposedly a sorceress. 

Slowly, Ka lowered her sword, "Alright," She said after a bit, "have them." She paused, sheathing her sword and raising an eyebrow up at Rose, "However, do not lose them." She remarked.

Rose's smile was brighter than the mid-day sun.


	11. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 10~

A few days later, Silk, alive and well despite Marmo's chaotic reputation, neared the fortress of Empress Ka. He had honestly expected that the surroundings would be seething with the presence of guards and malevolent creatures, but he was relieved to find that there was no such thing. This was confusing, as everyone on Lodoss knew that the dark city Salbad, the only city on Marmo and thus where Ka's fortress was located, was constantly surrounded by kobolds and other such monsters.

"I'm getting chills," Silk mumbled to himself, eyeing his surroundings warily, his steps making absurdly loud crackling noises as he marched atop the beaten path of dry leaves and fallen branches, "I still can't believe I'm alive." He chuckled to himself absent-mindedly and walk on.

He continued steadily until the thicket of impossibly tall trees cleared, revealing the looming structure that was Ka's fortress. Silk paused, his hand going nervously to his vest, where a hidden dagger was cleverly stashed, "What a piece of crap." The slender thief commented slowly, his voice resounding flatly in the crisp air. His eyes scanned the perimeter of the building, as well as the outskirts of the ruined city off to the side; he squinted as he caught a glimpse of motion, which at first looked like a few solitary wanderers hanging about the fortress walls, but then, as he got up onto higher terrain, he realized that there were many more 'loiterers' than he had previously thought.

"Jeez!" He breathed, his eyes widening as a few hundred feet away from him, at the foot of Ka's fortress, a half-dozen of hundred-man battalions milled about. As Silk was over the crest, he could now hear the ring of steel and the sound of rowdy laughter and cat-calls. He had never thought there would be this many guards!!!

Silk shook his head and plopped down amidst a heap of leaf-bare bushes, "I can't believe this." He groaned, rubbing his eyes, "I can't believe this." He repeated dismally, his gaze now steadily fixed on the churning mass of soldiers ahead. What in the name of Phalis was a group of six-hundred men doing guarding one fortress? Silk wondered, "It's not like the armies of Lodoss are just gonna _rush_ over here to take down this Ka person," He said aloud, "most of them don't even know she's _alive_!" He shook his once more and cursed his predicament.

A loud sound errupted from the group of soldiers and Silk looked up to see what was going on. A small circle of men cheered on two soldiers who had begun to brawl; this wouldn't have bothered Silk if it wasn't for the fact that the fight was being taken out of the fortress perimeter and towards the forest line, where Silk sat in hiding. In a flash, the wiry thief jumped to his feet and found himself another hiding spot, away from the very edge of the forest; without much effort, he found a high-enough tree branch to perch on.

"Coward!" Came one of the feuding soldier's cry as he and his opponent came to a halt inches from where Silk had once been sitting. The soldier, a human of about thirty years of age bearing a frightening scar above his eye, called his opponent on with a wave of his sword, "You and your kind are worthless pests!" He spat vindictively. The human's advsersary made an appearance then, snarling something unintelligeable; it was an orc -- an ugly, stalky, unintelligent creature that roamed the city of Salbad and some of the forests of Lodoss island. The orc dove at the human with an awl-pike, and the two engaged in combat once again.

Silk watched all this with minor interest, "Huh," He whispered, high up in his tree, "even _citizens_ of Marmo hate citizens of Marmo." He remarked cynically, barely audibly. 

Below the thief, the human and the orc battled on. With a cry of rage, the human impaled the orc and the creature dropped to the dusty ground in a bloody heap; the soldier laughed richly and turned to call to his comrades over by the fortress, but as he stepped away from his kill, he tripped over a raised root and fell to the ground face-first. Unfortunately for him, he was impaled by his own sword.

Silk laughed at the sight, "Long live Momo!" He cried, well aware of the mispronounciation. With that, he jumped from his branch and stepped over to the dead soldier's body. Eyeing thoughfully, he stripped the man of his armor and bloody sword, "This'll get me through those men down there." He figured contentedly, donning the new chain mail quickly and turning to face the throng of warriors gathered outside Ka's fortress.

"There are no direct entrances to the dungeons." The thief reminded himself as he made his way down the sloping hill of the forest line and headed towards the other soldiers, "Gee, how much brains did it take you to figure _that_ one out, Marfa?" He spat ruefully, not quite sure wether he cared if the Goddess was listening or not. 

As he finally mingled amongst the other warriors, of various races he noticed interestingly, his fear of being asked questions by the dead human's fellow soldiers died quickly. Wether the human had no friends, or wether no one really cared about the fight that had just occured between the owner of Silk's new armor and the orc did not seem to be of much importance. Silently, Silk cursed the dark island and its despicable inhabitants, "You all just make me want to _rob_ every one of your houses..." He said aloud, pushing through a group of gathered kobolds, "..._if_ that is, you even _have_ houses. Which of course, you _don't_. You probably all live in dank caves and eat raw meat and leftovers..." He stopped his grumbling when he reached the entrance to the fortress.

"You lost, soldier?" Came a rough voice from behind Silk.

The thief whirled around to face a scowling dark elf, "No." He snapped as sternly as he could, "Go away." He added, sneering down at the dark elf, his hand going to his new sword's hilt. He didn't really want to fight the other man...he just wanted to look like a genuine Marmo soldier.

The dark elf looked Silk up and down, "Excuse me?" He asked, stepping closer to the taller thief and raising an eyebrow quizzically.

Silk sighed loudly and pushed the elf away, "Beat it, homo." He replied sharply, "I haven't got time for the likes of you. I have business inside." He threw his thumb back towards the great doors of the fortress. Quite nervously, he watched as the dark elf spat at his feet; before he knew it, the dark elf turned and disappeared amongst the other soldiers. 

Silk breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face the doors, with a mighty effort, he yanked one of them open and slipped inside. The sound of the soldiers' chatter was instantly cut out and he stood in silence at the far end of an amazingly large carpeted hall. He darted towards one of the walls, as being in the middle of an open area and standing there dumbly was not the way to look inconspicuous, and followed a side corridor deeper into the heart of the fortress.

Figuring the dungeons would be on the lowest level of the structure, Silk descended every staircase he encountered. Twice he found storage areas, but he eventually arrived in the dungeons. Unfortunately for him, Silk found out that the dungeons were alot larger than he had anticipated; winding corridors of dank cells went on for what seemed like miles, "How many captives does Ka keep for god's sake? Entire _cities_?!" He cried in exasperation at one point.

As if in response to his mock-question, a woman's voice sounded from of to the east, "Shut up!" The voice hollered, its sound echoing throughout the entirety of the prison block.

Silk froze. A guard? Arwen? Kalie? He swiftly and stealthily headed towards the voice's origin and eventually came up behind a red-robed figure that stood before two cells -- two _occupied_ cells. Silk was barely able to hold in a shout of glee; he had found Arwen and Kalie! Now all he had to do was find a way to get past the robed figure...

Casually, he strode up to the person in question and cleared his throat, "You are wanted in the empress' audience chambers." He declared as gruffly as he could. The red-robed figure turned then, and he found himself facing another dark elf -- this time, it was a woman...and she was frowning displeasedly. 

"Really?" The woman asked, her voice crisp and sharp.

Silk nodded half-heartedly, his eyes darting from the dark elf to the two prisoners who knelt by the bars of their jails. As much as he wanted to inspect the pisoners, he kept finding his gaze jumping back to the dark elven woman. She did not look happy with his summons. He felt himself flush with embarassment.

"I was just with the empress, soldier." The woman went on, her hands crossed negatively over her chest. When Silk didn't respond, she picked up on the hoax instantly; in a flash, she reached out and grasped the front of Sik's shirt, pulling him an inch from her scowling visage, "Listen to me, whoever you are." She hissed, "There are many important things going on right now and I haven't got the time or people who desire to screw around with me.".

Silk smiled a ridiculous smile, "The empress might have been asking about someone else..." He tried, shrugging his shoulders.

The dark elf sneered, "You don't even know who I am." She spat.

Silk opened his mouth to respond, but then he pursed his lips, "You're right, I don't." He declared in defeat, cursing under his breath. 

With that, the dark elven woman whipped open an empty cell and threw Silk inside, "I am Lady Rose," She said with evil intent as she slammed the door shut, "Welcome to Marmo."


	12. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 11~

"You know I was actually here to rescue you two." Silk said after a long moment of silence following Lady Rose's sweeping departure from the dungeons. He had been placed in the cell facing Arwen and Kalie; he really couldn't believe that he had failed in his mission so quickly.

Kalie, bitter and unimpressed, glared over at Silk from her own prison, "Well _you're_ pretty useless." She commented dryly, crossing her arms over her chest negatively.

Silk bolted to his feet and grasped the bars of his cell, his eyes narrowed angrily at the elven maid, "I'll have you know that I am a master thief in Valis!" He cried indignantly to his defense.

Arwen scoffed at him, "Perhaps in Valis," She said dismally, "but not on Marmo.".

Silk's gaze darted from Kalie to Arwen and he rolled his eyes in disgust, "Wretched Momo." He grumbled.

"Shut up and sit down." Came Kalie's sharp response only seconds later, "Rose will be back down here in a short while and then we're all in for a hell of a torture ride...even _you_, rat-man." She stated firmly.

"You know what?" Silk snapped back at the elf, pointing two fingers in her direction, "Fuck you." And with that, he plopped down onto his backside and turned to face the back of his cell with a childish pout.

***

Lady Rose found Ka amongst her soldiers outside the fortress. Earlier, when Silk had mingled amongst the same military group, he had unconsciously come very close to bumping into the empress herself; fortunately for him, he had slipped by the crowd virtually unnoticed and had infiltrated the fortress without Ka knowing.

"Ka," The sorceress greeted the empress with a curt nod, "I have reason to believe that actions are being taken against us by agents of Marfa." She declared with only a hint of worry slipping into her tone.

Ka frowned deeply and pulled away from the group of soldiers that she was assigning orders to, "What?" She asked, brushing herself off and stepping closer to Rose.

Rose sighed, "A man tried to divert my attention down in the dungeons and I threw him in a cell along with our two other 'guests'." She said with a small smile, "I think he was trying to get at Arwen and Kalie; I have no idea how he got into the fortress in the first place, but I can assure you that the armor on his back was not his to begin with...if you see what I'm saying." She raised an eyebrow, the mental image of Silk still playing in her mind.

"Lovely." Ka said at length, "Just lovely." She closed her eyes and thought a moment, restlessly stroking the hilt of her sword, "We will have to move faster then. Mya rmy will march sooner than planned; if Marfa is given too much time to counteract, then we will be faced with a much more elaborate set of obstacles to overcome." She whirled around and scanned the hundreds of soldiers that mulled about the fortress exterior, "Yes. We will march early." She mused to herself conclusively then turned to face Rose with a beaming smile.

Rose averted the empress' gaze and quickly looked over the soldiers around her; she swallowed heavily. Great, so Ka was going to speed up the war preparations. Rose began to chew the inside of her cheek. She knew she should be happy about all this, but the thought of the war bore down on her spirits more and more every day. Ever since Ka had declared that the time had come for preparations to begin, Rose had felt uneasy about the whole affair; things had only gotten worse since.

Even then, as Rose examined Ka's beaming smile, she couldn't get herself to feel secure. It was not a question of trust, for she trusted the empress with her life; it was just a bad feeling about the whole affair that overshadowed all her other thoughts. She had witnessed the death of Beld, and she had a feeling that Ka would follow in her father's footsteps...pretty much as she already had. Rose found this to be a shame for the people of Marmo. However, another preoccupation worried her even more than the defeat of Ka: Rose felt as though her _own_ life was at stake...

"Rose?" Ka asked when the sorceress' silence was becoming odd.

Rose snapped out of her daze and shook her head, "Oh, pardon me." She said absent-mindedly, "I was just thinking." She cleared her throat and forced a smile, "We will march sooner...understood. Good idea, Ka." She stated with false firmness, adding in a perfunctory nod at the end of her sentence to give her words more credit.

Ka's smile disappeared instantly and her features grew cold. In all her talent, Rose was a poor actress. Ka stepped forward and clapped a hand atop Rose's shoulder, "I know this doesn't please you, Rose." She began, as levelly as she could, "But it has to happen." She raised an eyebrow up at Rose, "If you do not want to go to war with me, you don't have to." She smirked at the wide-eyed sorceress, "But you'll be missing a good show!" She laughed contentedly and whirled around, heading back towards the mass of soldiers beyond.

Rose blinked idly. She didn't have to go to war...could her life be spared that way? With the sound of Ka and her soldiers' laughter trailing behind her, Rose went back into the fortress to think things over and to pay her newest captive a surprise visit.

***

Arwen's ears twitched as the sound of soft footsteps were heard somewhere around the corner to her cell block, "Back already, Rose?" She called to the unseen person, "I suppose you didn't have very much boot licking to do today..." She gave Rose a rueful look when the dark elf came around the corner and into the torchlight.

"Watch your mouth," Rose warned, pulling a whip from her belt, "I'm in a horrid mood.".

Silk, hearing the familiar voice of the one who had exposed him as the fake he was, turned to face the outside of his cell, "Hey! What's going on here with Ka and Marfa and Marmo and Arwen and the elven wench?" He asked irritably, speaking boldly to Rose for the first time, despite the fact that the sorceress held a whip loosely.

Rose strode up to Silk's cell and looked him up and down in a degrading fashion, "Why should I tell you?" She asked monotonously.

With a cocky smirk, Silk shrugged, "Why _shouldn't_ you? It's not like I'm gonna escape from her and tell anyone..." He replied smartly, being careful not to lean to close to the bars, in case Rose might break his arm or do some other terrible thing.

"She's not gonna tell you, rat-man." Kalie's voice sounded from behind Rose.

The dark elven sorceress whirled around in a flash and lashed out at Kalie with her whip from between the bars. The leather snapped loudly and Kalie was left with a long red cut that ran from her right shoulder down to her left hip. Slowly, Rose returned her attention to Silk, a calm smile on her face now, "Kardis lived within Ka and together, they will conquer Lodoss. Marfa, and her pathetic agents, are but an obstacle to their designs; a grand army is on the vrge of being ready to march as we speak." She explained simply to the lanky thief.

Silk frowned, "Well, that explains the soldiers up front." He mumbled to himself, running his fingers through his hair. He dared to lean forward against his prison bars and shook a finger up at the stony-faced Rose, "Why is Kardis trying that again? It has never worked!" He cried in disbelief; with a desolate and pity-filled sigh, he added, "You're all going to die, you know that right?".

The comment hit home more than anything ever said to Rose ever had. The sorceress considered lashing out at the smart-alecky thief and raised her arm to do so, but then she put her whip away and cocked her head to the side, her features growing concerned all of a sudden, "You really think so?" She asked almost meekly.

Silk winked at her and nodded, "Damn straight." He pursed his lips and gave her a hopeless look, "You evil-doer types never win."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Rose raised her chin indignantly at Silk, "That will change." She snapped defensively.

"Afraid not." Silk chimed in, waving his hands.

Rose bent down and frowned at the brash thief, "Afraid _so_."

Silk laughed, "Afraid _not_."

Rose lashed out and grasped the front of the thief's shirt, pulling him within an inch of her visage, "I _said_ afraid s_o_!" She cried through clenched teeth.

Once again, Silk laughed; although she may have been imposing a few moments ago, Lady Rose just didn't seem that frightening any more. When his chuckes died, he fixed the sorceress with a sly expression, "Weren't you supposed to torture me and the two other girls?" He asked, rather off-topic.

Rose released her grip on Silk's shirt and let a loud 'hmph' escape her lips before whirling around to roar at Arwen and Kalie.

Silk smoothed his clothing, all the while smiling triumphantly at the indignant sorceress' back.


	13. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 12~

Ka stood amongst a throng of soldiers, looking down at an old map of the island-continent of Lodoss. The war preparations were coming to an end, and soon they would be marching out to Kannon, the first target of the worl-wide invasion. Of course, the original Marmo forces will be joined by many other war parties along the way; however, before the first group of add-ons was to join the crew, Ka's forces would have to take Kannon -- a task that Marmo had accomplished many years ago under the rule of Emperor Beld. Unfortunately for Beld, he had soon lost the province to King Fahn of Valis due to political warfare.

The came the sound of clinking chainmail from beyond the tight circle of soldiers, and within moments, Djavul appeared with a bright grin, "Our ships are already at port, Empress; we will be ready to depart within the week!" He stated proudly after saluting his sovereign as she turned to face him.

Ka smiled and rubbed her hands together eagerly, pulling away rom the table that held her map, "What are the counts for the orc and kobold participants?" She asked Djavul, striding through the mass of soldiers that melted away from her path.

"I cannot thruthfully say, Empress." Djavul responded thoughtfully, falling into step beside his empress, "There could be tens of thousands of them." He looked over at Ka and registered the untroubled expression she bore with much relief, "Many of them have been loitering around Salbad for weeks now; there are more tribes of them coming in from the southwest of Marmo...orcs mostly, however." He explained furthermore.

The more she asked about it, the more the war preparations were coming along splendidly, "Most pleasing news, Djavul." Ka breathed contentedly, winking over at the dark elf, "I trust you and your men will be bringing up the rear as planned?" She asked, the tactical expression causing comically-disturbing visions to form in her mind. 

Djavul smiled and chuckled lightly, as if reading the empress' twisted thoughts, "Yes, of course." He replied at length, shaking his head, "My men have been ready for long and are anxious to go to battle." He added then. Ka nodded at his words and, as the two of them stepped out of the war-room and into the hallways beyond, Djavul looked over at Ka and asked, "Will my sister be joining you on the battlefield?".

Ka shook her head and sighed rather solemnly, "I am afraid not." She said lightly, casting a furtive glance over at her lover -- if he could be called that, "She sees an ill fate to this war and she fears it." She added in explanation, to Djavul's uttermost interest.

"That surpises me." The dark elven soldier said after a moment of silence, "I have always known Rose to be fervent in matters of conflict." He shrugged, "I would have even said that she flocked to them by choice..." He caught Ka's eye and held it firmly, "...much as she flocked to you, Empress." He smiled tightly as Ka stopped walking and stood still, facing him.

A dull shadow crept through Ka's gaze and she cocked her head to the side, examining Djavul for no particular reason other than thoughftul fixation, "Perhaps Rose sees things that I -- Kardis included -- do not see." She reasoned in an ominous tone. Then, seeing Djavul's sudden worry, she made a dismissive gesture with her right hand, "But let such prophecying not stand in the way of our upcoming glory; dark visions or not, we _are_ marching out in two days, and we _will_ succeed in our designs." She concluded with a smirk.

Djavul's eyes widened, "_Two days_?" He asked incredulously, "Are you sure?".

Ka nodded, eyeing the elf firmly, "The ships _are_ ready for loading, are they not, Djavul?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

The dark elf nodded, "Yes, they are, but --" He began, but the empress cut him off before he could finish.

"Then we leave in two days." Ka re-stated pointedly, then swept away down the halls.

Djavul shook his head and grinned despite himself, "Has anyone ever told you that you're crazy?!" He called after Ka; he watched with a kind of bewildered pleasure as, further down the hall, the empress, in response to his words, pumped her fist into the air and shook her hips with a whoop. 

***

Fresh from a good night's sleep, Rose descended the dungeon-level stairs, "Good morning my darlings!" She called down to her three prisoners, stiffling a yawn.

There came only one response, "Good morning, Rose!" Came the overly-enthusiastic, and obviously sarcastic, voice of Silk.

Rose smiled and stepped between the cells occupied by her captives, "I trust you all slept well." She purred brightly, eyeing both Arwen and Kalie and ignoring Silk, who's cell was at her back. The elven maid and her human partner said nothing; they chose to continue staring at the wall.

"_Fine_ then, ignore me." Silk snapped.

Rose payed no heed to the clever-tongued man and frowned down at Arwen and Kalie, "You know what, girls?" She asked them both, bending down to sound confidential, "Ka's army leaves in two days." She declared wickedly.

Arwen's head snapped over to face Rose and her eyes widened in terror, "So soon?!" She cried, her fear bubbling up within her like never before. Why hadn't Marfa come to her aid?! Ka _had_ to be stopped!

Rose nodded with a wan smile playing across her lips, "That's right, my pet." She purred, "In two days, Lodoss will begin to suffer Kardis' revenge. Our first target is Kannon -- the small villages there will fall almost instantly...many of them are still recovering from Marmo's last invasion." She locked her eyes with Arwen's in order to absorb, and revel in, all the horror the woman was feeling.

"Oh. I guess we'll be losing you in two days, then." Silk's voice cut in from behind Rose.

The dark elven sorceress began to laugh and she whirled around to face the thief, "You won't be that lucky!" She cried triumphantly, "Although the empress will go to war, I will remain here..." She grinned evilly down at Silk, "...with _you_."

Silk sighed and rolled his eyes, "Oh joy." He murmured monotonously.

The prisoner's unending sarcasm was driving Rose insane. Other than Kalie, who was surprisingly quiet since her capture, Rose believed that she had never met a person that irritated her more than Silk did. In fact, the thief irritated her _so_ much, that she even regretted having taken him prisoner in the first place. 

Without really bothering to think twice about it, Rose slipped the keys to the cell out from her sleeve and unlocked the man's door. Silk gawked up at her and her expression grew stern, "_No_, I'm _not_ letting you go free." She snapped before the brash thief could say anything more, "Quite the contrary, actually." She smiled wickedly and strode into the cell, then yanked Silk to his feet, "I'm going to take you to my _special_ torturing room!" She hissed mancingly, pulling the thief out of his cell and into the hall.

"You hear that, girls?!" Silk called over his shoulder at Arwen and Kalie as he was quite literally dragged up the stairs leading out of the dungeons, "_I'm_ going to the _special_ room!" He managed to flash the two other captives a thumbs-up before disappearing out of sight.

***

Rose's 'special' room was indee special...but not in the pleasant sense. She had steadfastly gathered all the odd instruments of torture that she could find and had set them up in a single room that had once served as a storage area. With the help of some old tomes and the advice of some sick people, she had concocted a great number of devices and tools that would help her to relieve the worst of her stress...by inflicting great amounts of pain on other people.

Silk was hauled onto a blood-stained table, where Rose strapped him down with great enthusiasm. Silk wondered why on earth he hadn't tried to incapacitate Rose and run away, but then he remembered that she was a sorceress. As such, he allowed Rose to be most brutal with him; she had decided to begin by punching him in the face -- once -- in order to vent the immediate section of her frustration. Afterwards came the real pain. 

Along with a very sharp dagger and a small glass of vinegar, Rose had perched herself atop one end of the table Silk was laying upon and was cutting thin lines into his exposed leg. Of course, this would have been no fun without some sort of game involved, so Rose made up a kind of trivia game to go with it; every time Silk answered a question wrong, which was more often than not, Rose would cut a new line and douse it with vinegar.

Of course, Silk did not like this game.

After approximately an hour of this 'game', Silk was nerve-wracked and beggin Rose for mercy, "For the love of God!" He cried through gritted teeth, "Stop it! _Stop it_!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, nearly passing himself out in the effort.

Rose laughed gleefully and finally put down her glass of vinegar, "You know you wouldn't be in so much pain if you were a smarter man," She teased, slipping the bloddy dagger into her robes, "You may have been clever down in the dungeons, but now that we've tested your knowledge, we can see that you're not really what you seem to be." She concluded haugtily and wiped her hands on Silk's pant leg.

Silk blew a strand of hair out of his eyes and watched as Rose got up from the the table's edge and headed over to where his head lay. He didn't say a word until she was standing above him with her arms crossed in front of her and a triumphant smile spread across her face. Only then did he show her that she hadn't won the match.

"Do you have _any_ idea what kind of scars I'm going to have because of you?" Silk asked with an unnerving smile.

Rose couldn't believe her eyes; she was so outraged and at her wits end with this man that she didn't know what to say anymore. The more she fought with him, the more he irritated her...there was no end to this madness!

Upon her silence, Silk pounced, "On second thought, maybe we should play another one of your fun games..." He pushed, testing the limits of Rose's patience and all-the-while wondering why it was that she was even bothering to toil with him, "...I think I kinda like it." He smiled just as evilly as Rose had smiled at him down in the dungeons.

Rose stared down at Silk a moment, then, on impulse, she bent and kissed him on the mouth. When she pulled from him, it was her turn to wear the evil grin, "Alright then," She purred devlishly, "let's play again.".


	14. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 13~

In the next two days, Rose and Ka did not see one-another. Ka was too busy with final preparations for the war, and Rose was not called on for any particular tasks. This gave Rose all the time she needed to get the war-worry out of herself, and she did this with the help of her new 'favorite prisoner' Silk. 

Now completely oblivious, or just about, to the fact that she had two other inmates to think about, Rose spent almost all of her time with Silk. She tore him from his cell for hours at a time, yelling angrily as she hauled him out of the dungeon hall, and she would take him to her patented toture chamber. Fortunately for Silk, there just didn't seem to be much torturing going on anymore. Rose, now intrigued by the lanky thief's quick wit and intuitive remarks, would engage Silk in lengthy conversations about anything and everything. 

Silk told Rose all about his deal with Marfa and Rose reacted with a certain mesure of disappointment. Rose didn't really know what to make of the fact that Silk wasn't at all trying to free Arwen and Kalie, and she made even less of his friendly attitude. She told herself that she would discuss the matter with Silk at one point or another, but right then, other pressing matters were at hand...

"Kardis must be ecstatic." Rose commented dryly as she helped Ka with the last of her armor. The time had come for the empress and her army to march, and in a few moments, they would all be heading for Kannon -- their first target. Rose would stay behind, as previously determined, but she would most definately see Ka off.

Ka laughed, her eyes ashimmer with the anticipation of war, "Kadis _is_ ecstatic, I assure you!" She cried happily, her hand on the Demon Sword's hilt, "I didn't get a minute of sleep last night!" She watched as Rose clasped the last of the buckles on her shin guards and headed off towards her steed. When she reached the black tower-of-a-horse, she mounted it and grasped the reins heartily, then looked out at the city square of Salbad, where all of her immediate troops were gathered. 

Rose's gaze followed Ka's and she wrapped her arms around herself and forced back the dismal prophecies that urged to be heard. At least two to three thousand 'men' were gathered a few meters away, and everyone of them didn't seem to have the slightest idea of what magnitude the upcoming war would be. When Ka and those men would leave Salbad, another group of warriors would join them; it would be the ogres from the outskirts of Marmo. Rose suddenly felt very glad about her current stationary position.

"I bid you good luck, empress." Rose managed, calling out to Ka so that the empress might snap out of the daze she was apparently in and get to the farewell portion of the ordeal. 

Ka returned her attention to Rose and grinned evilly, "Thank you, Rose. And make sure the city doesn't fall apart while I'm gone, would you?" She called back to her right-hand-woman.

Lady Rose nodded and laughed, but her chuckles came out as nervous choking noises. She watched with growing horror as Ka turned and headed off to the front of her army, and, with the help of Djavul, signalled the march to begin. Rose wisely held back from screaming the words "you're gonna die, Ka!" and turned away from the horendously large group of warriors that were heading out. She faced the stone of the fortress' entrance doors and bit her lower lip, "This is the worst feeling in the world." She whispered to herself and ran her fingers through her hair.

When the entire army had left the city, Rose returned inside the fortress and sought out a diversion...in other words, Silk. 

***

In her cell, Arwen was startled to hear Marfa's voice enter her mind, "Kardis' puppet has left with her army of monsters." The goddess said dismally, "Your time wears thin, Arwen. Something must be done before they reach Kannon!" She urged rather delicately.

Arwen almost cried, "There is nothing I can do, Marfa!" She protested frustratedly, "I can't just _walk_ out of this jail cell, you know!" She added cynically.

Marfa was not impressed, "Please, do not use such sarcasm, Arwen; you remind me too much of that rat-faced thief.".

Arwen almost jumped at the mention of Silk, "Why did you send him in the first place?!" She cried, "You knew that he was not to be trusted, yet you still sought out his aid. What is the matter with you?! He failed spectacularly at freeing Kalie and I and now he's probably off somewhere getting ransacked by that wench Lady Rose!" She shook with anger when she finished her ranting. 

"I thought that he could be of help to our cause." Marfa answered rather apologetically, "But I am sure that he is no longer on our side." She paused, as if to think, then continued, "Now listen to me, Arwen: I will help you retrieve the Holy Sword of Falis, and you will escape this dreaded hell-hole to fight Ka once and for all." She said with sudden ferocity.

Arwen's eyes widened at the words, "What?" She cried, "Fight her now?" She thought a moment and a question popped into her head, "Why is it that you communicate with me now, and you never did before --after my arrival on Marmo?" She asked quizzically.

Marfa's voice went calm once more, "I can speak with you now because Kardis is now completely medled with empress Ka, and thus cannot 'hear' me, although Ka might not have even noticed that Kardis has taken over yet. The goddess of madness and destruction knows that the time of the battle between she and I is at hand, that is why I will help in freeing you this very day." She explained.

Arwen drew in a breath and closed her eyes to concentrate, "Alright, I will fight Ka...but...how will you free me?" She asked, her tone taking growing enthusiastic.

"When Lady Rose comes back from her time with Silk, get Kalie to make her angry and find a way to get her into Kalie's cell." Marfa began, "From there, get Kalie to initiate magical combat with Rose. I will lend Kalie my strength and Rose will be quite briskly overpowered; Kalie will free you using her new magical abilities, and then I will leave her and meld with you --completely, as Kardis has melded with Ka. I will then guide you to the Holy Sword and we will make haste to catch up with Ka." She paused, breathless, "Understood?" She asked conclusively.

Arwen nodded pointlessly, as the goddess could not see her, and smiled with a renewed sense of hope, "Understood!" She cried and just as soon went over to the edge of her cell to report all of this to Kalie, who had previously fallen asleep.

***

Back in Rose's torture chamber, Silk finished up the last of his antics. He had volunteered to brighten Rose's dark mood by making bad jokes about political figures and by impersonating drunken members of various races. Rose had enjoyed every minute of it, but it all did very little to clear her mind of the unpleasantness that had taken over a few weeks ago, and that had subsequently increased in unpleasantness in the past few days. 

Clutching his chest, Silk plopped down on one of the armrests of Rose's chair, "Whew! I've never sung that high in my _life_!" He breathed, then looked over at Rose and grinned; the dark elven woman was not smiling anymore and this displeased Silk greatly, "When are you _ever_ gonna lighten up?!" He cried in exasperation.

Rose smiled lightly and patted the thief's leg, "Not today, I'm afraid. You tried well, but you failed, my impatient friend." She sighed with a melancholy air.

Silk threw his arms up in defeat, "Well for the _love_ of--" He paused, then he caught Rose's gaze firmly, "Did you just call me 'friend'?" He asked curiously, positive that he had heard wrong.

"Yes I did." Rose answered with a smirk, raising an eyebrow up at Silk, "Does that trouble you?".

Silk remained quiet a moment. In his entire life, no one had ever called him a friend...no one. He lived in a world of business and aquaintances, never to grow close to anyone at any time for fear of betrayal and bad blood. This was new to him, but not wholly unpleasant, "No, it's alright. Kinda nice, actually." He smiled and took Rose's hand from his leg and held it in his.

Rose smiled, "Perhaps I should allow you to go free..." She mused, smirking up at Silk; the thief nodded and his eyes grew wide, then Rose shook her head, "...perhaps not." She finished promptly, then, upon seeing Silk pout, she added, "For at least until Ka returns from war.". 

Silk, for the first time in a long while, said the wrong thing at the wrong time, "_If_ Ka returns from war." He answered pertly.

Immediately, Rose's face became awash in worry once more.


	15. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 14~

When Rose had returned from her audience with Silk, she found Kalie standing in the center of her cell. For many days, Arwen and Kalie had been quiet and stagnant, huddled up in a corner of the cells and speaking only sometimes when spoken to. However, Kalie was no longer so reclusive; she now stood upright, hands on hips and grin on lips, watching as Rose locked Silk back into his prison.

"Traitor!" The elven maid called to the thief through her prison bars, "You dare to betray Marfa by dealing with the dark elven wench Rose!".

Rose whirled around to face her captive and crossed her arms over her chest negatively, "At least _one_ of you saw the light." She retorted with a sneer, "While your destiny is to rot in these dungeons, Silk's is open to freedom." She added, stepping up to Kalie's cell.

Kalie put on an unimpressed face, "So why do you continue to keep him under lock and key?" She asked curtly. To this, Rose did not answer and gave the maid a dull look of contempt. Kalie, determined to get the evil sorceress furious enough to issue a magical challenge (as was Marfa's will), let loose her tongue with more ferocity, "Perhaps you fear that if he is let free, he may slip between your fingers and do you harm. After all, you _are_ a vile wench that deserves naught but to suffer for your ill actions." She smiled sweetly and her eyes began to glitter hotly.

Rose's whip lashed out and snapped against Kalie's shoulder, "You don't know what you're talking about, stupid elf!" She roared angrily, "You have always been jealous of me since we were but children!" She pointed a finger accusingly at Kalie and narrowed her eyes, "_Your_ magic has always been weak...just as your spirit is. _My_ magic, on the other hand, has always inspired awe...and _my_ valiant spirit has landed me a place so fine as to be second in command of an entire land!" She cried, her chest heaving.

A malicious grin spread across Kalie's face, Marfa's plan was working! She took on the tone of voice that was her most venomous, "Would you care to settle that issue now, once and for all?!" She issued with a short laugh, "I am no longer a child, Rose, and my magic has grown along with my body! Your illusions of superiority are false, as you will see, and once I show you the true extent of my abilities, you will never torment me on that subject ever again!" She reached out her hand through the bars and extended it to Rose, "What say you?" She then asked courageously.

Rose slapped the girl's hand away firmly and laughed heartily, "Ha!" She exclaimed with a raised eyebrow, "You don't realize the implications of such an issue!" She warned darkly, but Kalie's invitation did not go; the elven maid remained set to her mission. Rose smiled, figuring that Kalie was lying about her 'new power' and had actually decided to commit suicide by challenging a mighty opponent such as Rose. Interesting, thought Rose...

As such, as was hoped by Kalie and the seemingly-asleep Arwen, Rose reached for the keys at her belt and unlocked Kalie's cell. She reached in and roughly grabbed the girl, binding her wrists and neck in magical circlets attached to a chain, and with this apparatus dragged her from the dungeons into a nearby training hall. The room was large and bare, and the floor was uncarpeted stone.

With a flick of her wrist, Rose closed the doors behind them and soon after bade Kalie's bounds to disappear, "This was a big mistake, Kalie, ..." Rose teased as she gathered her power, "...on your part." She let out a throaty laugh and launched a volley of magical missiles at Kalie, each bolt straight and true in their trajectory. Kalie nimbly jumped up and out of the way; the missiles hit the wall behind her and etched deep craters into the old stone.

Time was of the essence, and Kalie knew this; she really couldn't let this mock-combat last very long, as she and Arwen had to catch up with the empress' troops before they reached Marmo's port. Landing a good thirty feet away from Rose, Kalie raised her hands to the ceiling above and closed her eyes, "Marfa! Lend me your strength!" She cried at the top of her lungs. Instantly, a blinding flash of light errupted in the room and then concentrated on Kalie's form; the light pulled back into Kalie and she seemed to absorb it for a moment. 

Desperately, Rose attempted to launch an attack at her opponent, but her magic was deflected by the light around Kalie. The dark elven sorceress watched in horror as all the light disappeared within her nemesis and then re-appeared within the white elf's hands as she held them palms-out towards Rose. 

It only took a split-second for Kalie to loosen her magic and the effects were devastating. The thick bolt of glittering energy pounded into Rose and surrounded her until she was no longer visible. Kalie heard nothing but the woman's screams as the magic did its work. When the light subsided once more, Rose was lying on the gound, her clothing singed and her flesh covered in cuts; she seemed to be unconscious...or dead, one or the other.

Unfortunately, Kalie had no time to find out exactly what Rose's living status was, and she hurried to gather the keys at the dark elf's belt, "Thank you, Marfa!" She cried to the heavens and darted from the room and around the corner. She returned tot he dungeons and, panting, freed the now ecstatic Arwen who clapped her hands and jumped up and down at the sight of her friend.

"You did it, Kalie!" Arwen cheered, stepped out of her prison with a delighted air, "How did it feel?" She asked her friend eagerly.

Kalie gave Arwen a cold look, "It was tremendously strong...but I never want to put myself in a situation like that ever again." She responded, negligently throwing the keys to the ground, then grasping Arwen's arm and taking her swiftly up the stairs and out of the dank dungeons.

"The Holy Sword of Falis is in Ka's bedchamber." Came Marfa's cheerful voice (from within Arwen's mind) once the two girls had reached the top of the stairs, "It lies in the east of the uppermost level -- quickly now, make haste!" She urged and set her two adventurers in motion.

***

Meanwhile, back in the dungeons, Silk greedily eyed the keys on the floor. He couldn't believe that Kalie had just _dropped_ them there -- and in almost-reaching distance!!!

After quickly surveying his surroundings, Silk edged to the gates of his prison and stuck out his foot between the iron bars; the more he worked at it, the more ground he was gaining between his foot and the keys.

"Almost got it..." He whispered to himself as he redoubled his efforts...

***

Kalie and Arwen burst into Ka's chambers like bats out of Hell. The room was dark and cold and littered with weaponry and old paper scraps. However, propped up beside an old high-backed chair was the Holy Sword, its unmistakeable blue glow flaring to life as soon as Arwen entered the room. 

"My baby!" Arwen cried despite herself and dove for the mighty blade, grasping its hilt firmly and raising it before her eyes, "Now you will pay, Ka!" She hissed determindely and whirled to face the grinning Kalie. It appeared that everything would be alright after all...

Kalie motioned for Arwen to follow as she turned to leave the empress' room, "Come now, follow me!" She prayed eagerly as Arwen darted after her, "Let us go down to the lower levels and get some horses, we must hurry!" She hurried down the winding stairs with Arwen on her heels, nearly tripping a great many times, and thanked the gods that there remained no one inside the fortress to impede her path.

They bolted through the endless halls and reached the rear exit, where they had first encountered and fooled some guards to gain entrance into the fortress. Exiting with a certain measure of caution, they happened upon a single horse, tied to a broken pillar that bore a hook, and decided that the single beast would suffice, as they really had no time to run abot searching for another mount.

And so Arwen and Kalie set off after Ka...


	16. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 15~

"Got it!" Silk cried ecstatically as the lock to his prison cell clicked open, "Thought you could keep the master of thieves in a prison, eh?" He rambled to himself as he scurried out of the dank cubicle and into the halls. He looked thoughtfully over at the empty cells of Arwen and Kalie; only a moment ago, Arwen had been gleefully yelling to Kalie that she 'had done it' and then they both escaped. However, previous to that, Lady Rose had taken Kalie up on her challenge...

"Oh my god, Rose!" Silk cried, his eyes growing wide all of a sudden. He knew he had no real duty towards the dark elven woman, but something inside of him told him that it wouldn't be right to just run home to Valis and attempt to forget about everything that had gone on in the past few days. Especially not if a war was upcoming!

Somewhat worried and downright nerve-wracked, the lanky thief ran up the stairs and stopped to listen to the dark halls beyond. Luckily for him, from the next room, he heard a ragged groan, "Rose!" He cried in a squeaky voice and darted around the corner. The door to the training hall was open and inside he could see Rose's form sprawled on the floor and moving slightly. He hurried inside and dropped to his knees at the sorceress' side, "Are you alright?" He asked, examining all of the small cuts and bruises that laced her body.

Rose groaned and put her hand to her head, "I...oh..." She tried to get up but slumped back down onto the cold stone floor, "...Kalie..." She tensed at the mention of the name as it brought back anger.

Silk's expression grew stricken, "Kalie and Arwen have escaped!" He blurted despite himself. He sighed inwardly as his words finalized Marfa's suspicions that he was no longer on her side. Rose's jaw dropped and he lent her his hand, "Quickly, if you want them back we have to hurry!" He urged.

"It's too late to get them back," Rose declared as she hauled herself to her feet with the help of Silk's arm, "but we can still intercept them." She added, brushing herself off. She was still a little unstable from the tremendous magical strength that Kalie had deployed, but she would be alright.

Silk grabbed hold of the elven woman's shoulders, "I thought you weren't going to war." He protested, "I thought you were supposed to stay here." He frowned deeply, unsure about running after the two escapees -- a feat that he was sure would lead them both to their deaths.

Rose shook her head, "I have to do what I have to do." She breathed after a bit, realizing that there was really nowhere else to go but to war, "Arwen has gone after Ka -- and she probably has the Holy Sword of Falis on her too. We can't let her get near the empress or we're all dead!" She cried apocalyptically and pulled Silk out of the room. She dragged him, protesting, down to the soldiers' quarters where the two of them donned armor that they deemed fit and weaponry that suited their hands. Rose then lead Silk outside, where they took horses and got ready to depart.

"So we're going to try to kill Arwen before she kills Ka?" Silk asked a final time, as he and Rose got onto their horses and stared out at the darkening horizon. He suddenly wished he hadn't decided to help Rose out...

Rose's expression was set and determined, "Yes, that's exactly right." She said sharply and shot her partner a tight smile, "Now let's go!" She screamed and spurned her mount. 

***

Arwen and Kalie caught up with Ka's army quite quickly. The massive force moved slowly, and it was large enough to hear and see from a considerable distance. To be able to get at Ka herself, the two women posed as soldiers (not a hard thing to do) and slowly made their way through the ranks of the armed mass of men and monsters in search of the empress.

"You'd think they'd react to your sword." Kalie whispered to Arwen as the two of them edged their way by a small horde of halberd-wielding ogres. Arwen had dismounted from the horse and walked by it, as two people on one horse might look a little odd in an army.

Arwen peered up at Kalie and shook her head, "They're too stupid." She remarked with a smile.

The smile made Kalie feel good, but not great. She didn't feel well at all out there with all the creatures that she hated most. To take her mind off of things, she decided to keep the questions going, "How does it feel being one with Marfa? I only felt it for a short while, so I didn't really take note..." She looked expectantly down at Arwen and raised an eyebrow.

"It's odd and somewhat soothing." Arwen repeated, her hand resting anxiously on the hilt of the Holy Sword of Falis, "It's like she's trying to make me feel good about walking to my death against Ka." She remarked cynically, although she really didn't want to give the grim idea more thought.

Kalie started to laugh but stopped short when she caught the glares of some of the other men around her, "I suppose we shouldn't talk about that then...um...what _do_ you want to talk about, Arwen?" She asked brightly, with balatantly false enthusiasm.

Arwen frowned, "Just shut up and keep moving." She snapped back at her friend.

***

At the front of the army rode Ka, a wide grin on her face.

"She's here." Kardis' voice spoke suddenly in the empress' mind.

Ka eyed her surroundings, "What? Who?" She asked dazedly. Now that war was at hand, she was in a surreal world of bliss and even Kardis held less importance to her.

"Arwen!" Kardis screamed, making Ka jump in her saddle.

Ka laughed confidently, "Impossible. She's back in the fortress under Rose's care." She replied haughtily.

"Rose is here too." Came Kardis' monotonous answer.

Ka's eyes widened, "Oh dear." She uttered out loud in a childish voice. Hastily, she turned in her saddle and examined the soldiers behind her in search of the escapee and her dark elven guard. She saw none of these; instead, she was greeted by a pointless smile and wave from Djavul. Without really thinking about it, she stopped and ordered the company to do the same with a signal of her hand.

"What are you _doing_?" Kardis demanded in an anxious hiss.

"Shhh." Ka urged the Goddess with a deep frown, "I'm gonna go get her and kill her now." She declared and with that, rode her horse into the ranks of her army in an attempt to find the elusive little Arwen. Kardis continued to yell some nonsense, but Ka began to sing out loud in order to drown her out.

***

"We're not moving any more." Kalie's worried voice rang out in the dank air, "Why aren't we moving any more?" She asked meakly and shot a desperate look down at Arwen.

Arwen motioned for Kalie to quiet down and tightened her grip of her sword, "Kardis knows we're here." She declared after a bit, her eyes scanning the area, "And that means Ka does too." She swallowed audibly and stood very still. There was really no use escaping what had to be done.

From the near distance, an off-key singing could be heard. Slowly, the sound drew closer. Finally, an armored woman on a tall black steed cut through the soldiers and made her way towards Kalie and Arwen. The woman's eyes scanned the area and fell upon their intended target; immediately, the singing stopped and the woman smiled wide.

Kalie winced.

"Hello ladies." The woman, Ka, greeted them gracefully, "How nice of you to show up." She chuckled to herself and hopped off of her horse. Slowly unsheathing her sword, she opened her mouth to say something threatening, but the shrill voice of Lady Rose rang out loud and clear.

The sound of hooves thundered in from the right side of the gathered crew and Rose rode in followed by Silk, "Ka! Arwen and Kalie have--" The sorceress cried, then , noticing Arwen and Kalie, stopped in mid-sentence, "I see." She smiled in embarassment, "Never mind.".

"Well then." Ka said with a smile, "We have an audience.".


	17. Default Chapter Title

History Reborn by Ka (MQ):

~Chapter 16~

Feeling the full force of Marfa's divine energy within her, Arwen faced Ka and narrowed her eyes menacingly, "You know I can't let you go through with your plans, Ka." She drew her sword before her and the light of the sun reflected off of it, "For all of Lodoss, you will _die_!" And with that, she lunged at the evil empress, blade first. With a wicked laugh, Ka deflected the blow and launched one of her own. By now, all the surrounding soldiers had fanned out to leave the two women room to fight. 

"You fool!" Kardis' voice raged inside Ka's mind, "It wasn't supposed to happen this soon!". 

Ka sneered amidst the swordplay and shouted aloud, "Who _cares_, just help me now!" And instantly, the Demon Sword began to glow the red colour that she had seen before back in Beld's ancient fortress. 

Ka slashed the massive broadsword crosswise, targetting Arwen's stomach; Arwen jumped back and scooped the empress' blade away, flinging it upwards. Promptly, Arwen kicked Ka in the stomach and eagerly watched her stumble back; unfortunately for her, Ka was no longer Ka at all...she was all Kardis now, which meant she was even more insane and oblivious to pain than ever before. 

As such, the empress/goddess charged foreward with a battle cry and slammed Arwen onto the ground. She tried desperately to impale her opponent's head with her sword, as the woman in question wriggled around beneath her. Arwen's hand came up from behind and produced a dagger that was unseen to Ka; with a sharp cry, she stabbed it in the empress' back -- repeatedly. To Arwen's horror, Ka did not relent.

On the sidelines, Silk held Rose back with all his might, "I don't like this!!!" The dark elven woman cried over and over, savagely trying to twist out of the thief's grip, "Let me _go_!".

Silk frowned deeply and tightened his hold on Rose's arms, "Over my dead body. Enough people will die...there's no use throwing yourself into the fray." He snapped sternly although Rose did not seem to care.

With a mighty effort, Arwen pressed the flat of her sword against Ka's and succeded in pushing the empress off of her. She jumped to her feet and backed away just as soon, her heart beating at a hundred miles an hour. She watched breathlessly as Ka whirled to face her, her eyes ablaze with fury; she proceeded to remove the dagger from her back, casting it aside resentfully. Why wasn't she dead?!

"Die, stupid girl!" The empress cried, her voice cracking with the strain. She dove for Arwen and engaged her in a hit and block routine, driving the woman back with every blow. Arwen was pushed back into the ring of soldiers and nearly stumbled into them as Ka continued to hack away at the Holy Sword of Falis; finally, tripped by one of the empress' men, Arwen fell back and into the crowd. Instantly, Ka was upon her, an evil grin spread across her face.

The empress laughed and raised the Demon Sword high, preparing to strike the final blow, "Lodoss is _mine_!!!" She cried and heaved the heavy broadsword over her head. Beneath her, Arwen cried out and stuck out her own blade instinctively, in an effort to protect herself; she closed her eyes and braced for the blow to her skull that would surely split her in two...but the blow did not come. Slowly, she opened her eyes and watched idly as Ka fell backwards, the Holy Sword of Falis dug deep into her chest.

Rose screamed a bloodcurdling scream as the empress' body hit the ground with a resounding thud. It came to her then that Ka was not going to get up again as she had after the dagger wound. Tearing away from Silk with monstrous strength, she cried out, "I knew it! I knew it!" And made her way towards the fallen Ka. Silk meant to follow then prudently decided against it as the triumphant Arwen emerged from the crowd of stricken Marmo soldiers.

Rose also saw Arwen. "_You_!" She hissed malignantly and headed straight for the half-elven woman, "_YOU_!" She cried this time, her magic courisng between her fingers. The prisoner-girl was going to pay...

Arwen, elated by her first kill, did not get the chance to rejoice too much when she caught sight of Rose's intense hate-filled visage. She silently figured that Marfa was still part of her, but the more she searched herself for the presence of the Goddes, the more she doubted it. Panic struck her as she realized that without Marfa's help and protection, she could not do battle with a magic-user of Rose's power. She had seen Kalie in action before and she had made it clear in her mind since that very day that warriors were not to fight against mages...at any cost. None-the-less, Arwen dre her sword and eyed Rose levelly...then she charged with a battlecry and hoped for the best.

Rose stopped within fifteen meters of her charging opponent and had already begun to mutter the incantation to a particularly powerful spell. The nearer to he that Arwen got, the more intense her mystical chant became, and finally, as Arwen's sword just about impaled Rose's belly, the dark-elven sorceress pointed a finger at her opponent and spoke one word, "Morte." The word escaped her lips in a whisper, which was a delicious contrast to the crescendo incantation.

Instantly, Arwen sighed and dropped to the ground in a lifeless pile at Rose's feet. Rose laughed, "This ends now." She breathed vengefully and whirled around in a swirl of crimson robes. 

Silk came forward and started towards Rose, "Rose!" He cried, wild-eyed and worried at the entire situation that was quickly developping into something much more terrifying then he had previously expected, "Enough already! Ka is dead -- let's get out of here and try this silly taking over the world thing later!" He tried desperately, reaching out for Rose with shaky hands.

Just as Rose reached out to take Silk's hands, a beam of scorching silver light zapped between them, "Who?!" Rose sneered and turned to look in the direction which the beam came. There stood Kalie, a horrified expression marring her perfect face. Rose's fury swelled once more and she promptly pushed Silk away, so that at least _he_ would not come to harm. She then returned her attention to Kalie.

"I beat you once and I can do it again." Kalie warned, throwing her hair back and flashing Rose a defiant smile.

Rose lifted her sleeves and summoned her strength, "Even _without_ the help of a Goddess?" She asked slyly. Before Kalie had the chance to reply, she launched a fireball. The flaming monstrosity missed Kalie, as the elf had nimbly flitted out of the way, and crashed into the ranks of Marmo soldiers -- killing _them_ instead.

Kalie landed a few feet in front of Rose. This was her chance to finally prove to her childhood bully that she was truly the most powerful of the two! "Fire arrow!" She screamed and a fire bolt appeared and sailed towards Rose. Rose snapped her fingers and disappeared, re-appreaing behind Kalie. With a contemptuous 'hmph', the dark elven sorceress kicked the half-elf's backside, sending the poor girl face-first to the ground.

"You were always so predictable!" Rose cackled and planted a series of sharp kicks into Kalie's side, "Then again...you _are_ a white elf, and white elves are _so_ stupid." She added, gleefully watching Kalie squirm beneath her boot. Kalie seemed to blank out for a moment, and this enraged Rose, "Why won't you say another one of your smart comebacks?" She demanded, kicking the bloody-mouthed and absent-looking elf harder, "Hmm? WHY?!" She demanded louder this time.

Suddenly, Kalie was all there again, "Wench!" She screamed and shot her arms up towards Rose. A blast of silver energy errupted from her palms and slammed into Rose, who cried out and stumbled back. Incredibly weak, Kalie hauled herself to her feet and trudged towards Rose, who lay about a dozen feet away, her robes tattered (even more!) and her skin a beaten mess.

The soldiers crowded and Silk was pushed around, making it impossible for him to get a good look at Rose. Almost madly, he fought his way through the mass of orcs and kobolds, swearing and praying to the Gods that everything was alright. When he finally got clear of the soldiers, he gawked powerlessly at what he saw.

Kalie straddled Rose and drew a long, thin dagger from her belt, "Never again will you plague my mind with insecurity!" She cried at the unconscious sorceress, Now join your empress in Hell!" And with that, she plunged the dagger into Rose's heart.

"Rose!" Silk screamed at the top of his lungs. His heart was beating at a mile a minute within his chest and he wondered why on earth the dark elven woman's death meant so much to him...then, he remembered hwo she had called him 'friend' back at the Salbad fortress. "You're dead, Kalie!" He cried, pointing a shaky finger at the elf, who quickly pulled away from Rose's body as if to disassociate herself with her murder. He stalked into the clearing of soldiers, where the bodies of Arwen, Ka and now Rose littered the ground. In response to his challenge, Kalie unsurely stepped forth, her bloody dagger in hand.

Then, before both of them could clash, the voice of Marfa entered every soldier's --as well as Silk and Kalie's-- mind.

"Stop this at once!" The Goddess demanded, her voice tremendous, "Those who had to die have died, there is no need to lengthen the island's torment by sacrificing the lives of more players!" She paused, then spoke again in a commanding tone, "Forces of Marmo begone, and never threaten Lodoss again!" And with that, every soldier that had served in Ka's army disappeared from the battlefield -- without a trace.

With Silk and Kalie now the only two (live) people left out near the Marmo sea port, Marfa's voice rang out again, "Kalie, return to Valis and share with them what you have been through -- and let it serve them as a lesson. This quest was never yours and you needn't lose your life to it." She said and just as the army had vanished, so did the stunned Kalie.

Finally, only Silk remained. Marfa's voice dipped to a disapproving tone, "I am disappointed in you." She said dismally, "But what should I have expected from an immoral man such as yourself?".

Silk ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes, "It's really not the time to be saying things like that." He snapped mentally, tears forming in the corner of his eyes, "Why don't you just leave me with my own misery?!" He cried aloud, his voice resounding off the distant mountains and open wastelands of Marmo.

"As you wish." Were Marfa's last words.

The Goddess' voice and presence gone now, Silk looked around at the open plains. A few feet away from him lay Ka's body, as well as Arwen's and Rose's. He walked over to Rose's and closed his eyes, then dropped to his knees and buried his face in his hands...however, he did not shed a tear.

***

The purple clouds of the Marmo sky roll across the heavens outside of the window facing Ka's old throne. Atop the basalt throne sits Silk, deep in thought.

"What am I going to do now?" He mumbled to himself, his voice echoing in the derserted halls of the fortress, "What am I going to do now?".

Somewhere outside, the unintelligeable cackle of the kobolds can be heard, mixing eerily well with the grunts of the blood-thirsty orcs.

~ End ~


End file.
